


A Demon's Happy Ending

by The_Queen_in_Black



Category: Black Butler, Kuroshitsuji, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angels, Anime/Manga Fusion, Bad Puns, Blood, Bloodshed, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Demons, Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Protagonist, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Killing, Kissing, Manga & Anime, Original Character Death(s), Romantic Comedy, Shinigami, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:58:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 177,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11396727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Queen_in_Black/pseuds/The_Queen_in_Black
Summary: Everyone has his or her own kind of happy endings, no matter who you are. Well, it's the same for demons too. Elizabeth's older sister believed to be dead, unexpectedly and suddenly ended up appearing at the Phantomhive manor, four years after her 'death'. Who knew she was destined to be with a demon?





	1. Prologue

It was dark.

I had to run away from these men.

I don't want to die in their filthy hands!

I _obviously_ have to live.

Oh, why did I have to be found out? Well, someone once told me, 'No lie could never be discovered.'

I guess it turned out to be true… based from experience.

Either way, I just can't give them this bag. Inside it was the one and only thing that would remind me of who I believe I am.

A music box. I have to protect it… so much.

I clutched on the key, which happened to be a necklace, as I turned and ran and tripped over branches and roots from the trees.

I had wounds, scratches and bruises all over my body. My shirt and pants were all ripped and destroyed. I only had one shoe left.

I was a complete and total mess.

But I didn't care anymore; I've been in a much worse situation, believe me.

I don't know how I ended up in this forest. If it weren't for these guys being so quick and all, I would've just stayed hidden behind some house.

I panted as I ran, my legs telling me to stop but I can't.

Not now, not ever.

It started to rain and it was pouring harder by the minute.

' _Oh please, God. Please, at least let me escape this forest._ '

I thought and prayed as tears started to well up in my eyes. And as if God really heard me, I miraculously found the end of this forest.

As I lied down on the grass, I heard the men's screaming voices and a growl of some animal.

I guessed it was a bear. Serves them right!

I sprawled down on the grass, too tired to even bother if it's muddy. I didn't mind being a mess in my current condition.

I got up after taking up all the rest I needed. The rain finally calmed down to a drizzle, even though I couldn't hide the fact that I was terribly hungry.

I walked, walked, walked. Until I came around the mansion I oh so remember like it was just yesterday.

I heard that it was burnt, but that's all. I didn't know if it was true or not.

I went in through the back door of the mansion, leading to the kitchen. The door creaked as I opened it wider for me to get in.

I smiled contentedly and shut the door, fainting, the blackness engulfing me.

As I slept, I dreamt of when I was still a young lady, I watched over my sister as she played with our cousin.

My sister and I loved this mansion. We did a lot of things here. We played hide and seek, sing songs, dress up and all the random fun shit I could remember.

I sometimes paint or draw them or the things around me. We would enjoy the delicious food they give us.

In this manor, I found peace. It was like my sanctuary. I liked it better here than back at home, the Midford manor. I liked it here at the Phantomhives.

Then, it all blurred and I slowly opened my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.


	2. Brought Back to Life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

It was going to be another normal day at the Phantomhive mansion. But the butler and master duo didn't expect an unconscious body of a lady to be found in their kitchen. The three stooges—actually Mey-rin—had found the girl that seemed to have been able to snuck in through the kitchen's back door and the maid screamed in a high-pitched voice, alerting the other members of the mansion.

"S-Someone must have left the door unlocked, yes they have." She said shakily, as they all looked down at the girl sound asleep wearing a bunch of torn clothes, a missing shoe, and was very dirty, pale and injured.

Sebastian looked at his master as if waiting for his decision or more like permission to get rid of the said lady. "We wait for her to wake up. In the meantime, Sebastian," he paused and turned on his heel before making his way out. "You know what to do."

Sebastian bowed his head with a hand to his chest. "Understood." His wine red eyes stared down at the brunette lady and he picked her up, bridal style. "Now if all of you would please get back to work. _Now_." The three scurried off and away as Sebastian ordered.

The butler was silent as he walked about the mansion. ' _Ah, how could I not have sensed her presence last night?_ ' he thought, after deciding to finally take a closer look at the girl in his arms. "I wonder, what made that brat show consideration for this human? Interesting," Sebastian kept murmuring to himself, as his wine red eyes scanned the disheveled appearance of the intruder. Moments later, he entered a certain room and took his time to tie the brunette to a chair.

Once done, he looked at his 'work' for a moment and knelt down to level with her. Sebastian's gloved hand ran through the girl's tangled brown hair, pushing her bangs away slightly for him to see the rest of her face.

' _Thick arched eyebrows, long lashes, thin lips and a small nose—a runaway noble perhaps? Or maybe…_ '

The creaking of the door made Sebastian snap his head up to view who the visitor was and cutting off his thoughts were of course, Ciel. "Wake her up."

"Isn't it strange, Young Master? I noticed that this is the first time you've come to give a care for a trivial matter as this. Is something the matter?"

Ciel was still looking at the brunette when he answered, "She just looks… rather familiar. She resembles someone I know. Let's say I am somewhat curious."

Sitting on a leather chair, in the purposely, poorly lit room, the butler shook the person to wake her up and they waited in the shadows. The captive moved in her sleep, then after a few moments, she snapped up.

The brunette looked around the room with her eyes squinted as she tried to decipher where she was at the moment. Opening her mouth to speak, nothing came out, making her clear her throat slightly. "H-hello? I-is someone there?"

Even she couldn't recognize her own voice, sounding very raspy. She coughed a bit, remembering she was parched. The girl took slow, deep breaths, straining her ears and ended up hearing shuffling sounds. Ciel crossed his left leg over the other and asked, "Who are you?"

Raising a brow the girl thought, ' _That voice… I've heard that… somewhere, before…_ '

Impatient, Ciel demanded again when the one in question didn't answer. "I won't repeat myself so answer my question already, if you want to be free that is." The girl sighed, despite being tired, managed to smirk a little.

"I'll only answer if you would show yourself."

' _Strong-willed, are you not?_ ' Sebastian thought, as if he was talking to her and saw how his master rolled his big eye. "Tch, it's not possible I'd do that." Ciel retorted and looked at Sebastian, motioning for him to do his part.

The butler's heels clacked as he showcased himself in front of the girl once again. But now that she's awake, he somehow felt a rush, a sudden jerk of excitement in his spine; and this response from himself got Sebastian confused. Most probably, he decided, that the poor and comical sight of this petty human before him once again, raised the bars of his ego. The demon was reminded that _he is the powerful predator_.

They looked at each other; his gaze intent on her eyes but the girl scrutinized him from head to toe, thinking that it was impossible for the man in black to have such a child-like voice.

Until the green orbs stopped on the Phantomhive crest Sebastian wore on his uniform, the girl tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes at it. "Miss, you better answer the question. I wouldn't want to hurt you more, seeing as you are already quite injured."

Sebastian flashed his fake smile, cracking his knuckles. Instead of trembling or gulping as what other usual intruders do, the girl instead, furrowed her eyebrows together and sighed heavily. She looked back at the shadows now and tried to talk to Ciel, seeming to ignore Sebastian's threat.

"That voice, you in the shadows," she paused with Ciel watching her. "I'm fully aware of who I am with right now, seeing as this man in black has the Phantomhive crest on his clothing… But your voice… is a bit too young to belong to… Uncle Vincent's…" Ciel's eyes widened at the mention of his deceased father.

"Ciel, tell me. Is that you in there? Or am I mistaken? But it _is_ possible that it _is_ you…" she trailed off.

Sebastian's eyes widened in the slightest, but he was too slow—too shocked or amused—to be left unnoticed by the lady. He guessed his master had the same reaction as his. A few moments of silence passed until said little master came out from the shadows.

The brunette and Ciel stared at each other for a while. She had a look of sadness at first until she realized something. ' _Oh wait, I just remembered he couldn't recognize me in this state._ '

Ciel sighed and put a hand on his waist, "Who are you really; I'm quite at a disadvantage. You know my name, I don't know yours."

Forest green and ocean blue orbs clashed as he glared at the brunette with his left eye. She seemed to be marveling at it before she smiled a sad smile. "You really don't recognize me, Ciel? It's me Dorothea—your cousin—Elizabeth's older sister."

His eye widened and the edges of his lips turned down in a scowl. The girl sort of expected that reaction. "Lies. Tell me the truth. My cousin's long been dead so it's impossible!" the young earl's voice raised in volume. All the while, Sebastian only looked confused.

' _I guess even he believed it huh?_ ' the brunette thought to herself.

The girl named Dorothea looked at Ciel in the eye and said, " _'Sweets are the only real justice in this world,'_ Isn't that right?" She grinned, making Ciel speechless.

"No way..."

Dorothea gave a little time for him to realize that she was for real, and that it was _possible_ for her to exist. "How could a person like you know that? It was only Dorothea that always told me that statement."

She nodded. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Ciel."

The young earl glared at her, Dorothea's gaze unwavering. In the end, Ciel sighed, looking away after a long pause. "…Sebastian, let her go _now_." He ordered his butler. Dorothea looked once again at the butler she had ignored, who was silent as she conversed with Ciel. ' _Sebastian, huh?_ ' she thought. ' _He is a butler? I should've known from the way he was dressed. But… he looked too good to be a mere servant. I thought he was some formal assassin,_ '

As ordered, Sebastian was forced to release Dorothea from the ropes, and it seems that he wasn't pleased, judging from the look on his face. The girl slowly stretched her arms, wincing at the pain of her sore body as soon as she was freed. Dorothea stood up and slowly approached Ciel, wincing at nearly every step she took towards him, and even as she knelt down to level her eyes with his.

"I didn't really die five years ago, Ciel. Thank you for believing in me." She spoke, showing him the necklace she always wore. It was the gift of the little Phantomhive's mother, Rachel Phantomhive, when Dorothea was fourteen. "I hope you still remember this."

Ciel blinked, took a breath and looked at Sebastian. "Give her some new set of clothes, a room, and tend to her wounds," he paused, then looked back at Dorothea. "And only after then, will we resume our discussion during afternoon tea."

The butler led the way to a separate room. Dorothea had often stumbled along the way, and tried not to wince too much, thinking that the butler must not trust her yet _of course_ , and she wouldn't want to burden him too much. It was quite a long way and even if she had used to roam the Phantomhive's place, the girl couldn't recognize which part of the mansion they were currently trudging in.

Upon arriving at her new room, Sebastian had made Dorothea sit on the edge of the bed and they both found out that she had a sprained ankle, aside from the numbers of bruises and scratches on her body. Sebastian stood by the door, and was going to get her a dress to change into. "Please do take your time in the bath. I shall be back with a new, fresh set of clothing for you to wear." He bowed slightly and stepped out, leaving Dorothea in the confines of her room.

Dorothea couldn't really do anything, since her feet were throbbing, her head sort of hurt, now that it realized that she was starving. Deciding to follow the butler's words, she slowly made her way towards the bathroom, and tried to relax in the bathtub, though it was filled with cold water since her injury wouldn't allow her to move so much as to get heated water. She felt lucky enough that she was going to be clean again.

While in the middle of her cold bath, she heard the door to the room she was in, open, and Dorothea presumed it was the butler. Sebastian then, went to knock on the bathroom door. "After you're done with your bath, please do quickly change. I shall be waiting outside and if you need help with getting dressed, I will assist you."

Silence followed, and the brunette thought she should thank him for his patience.

Once done, Dorothea stepped out of the bath, and gasped upon seeing the ruffled, blue and black dress on the bed. And below it rested a pair of black embroidered suede boots. Dorothea ran a hand over the soft fabric at first and smiled. "Dresses, like, real and proper dresses... who knew I'd miss wearing them? It does bring back memories…" Then she thought back, that she had been wearing rags disguised as clothes when she had arrived.

It took her a bit longer to get dressed, since it has been more than just 'a while' since she last wore a corset. It was a big no for her to ask a butler—a charming man at that—to help her with the painful clothing. It was also painful for her to put on the boots, but it was better than getting her feet cold. Right after her fruitful struggles, she went to the vanity and stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw the bags under her eyes, her pale skin ruined with a few scratches.

Bringing out a comb, her slender fingers ran through her damp, messy natural curls before proceeding to tie it in a side French braid. After doing so, Dorothea went out and was sort of surprised that the butler really was still there. "I'm sorry for taking too long," she murmured. Sebastian only nodded, a curt smile in place.

The butler and the brunette walked in silence. The girl, sensing this eerie aura from Sebastian, who in return had been stealing glances at her, decided not to speak, unless being talked to. Sebastian offered his arm for the girl to cling on to, remembering her injury. This time, however, Dorothea didn't reject the offer but still feeling a bit awkward with a man having to help her. She's been used to standing on her own two feet, so, to prevent herself from blushing from embarrassment, she directed her gaze towards her surroundings.

' _Rumors say this was burnt, but it doesn't show at all. I wonder…_ '

After a few long minutes of walking, the two finally arrived at the garden where Ciel was currently staying, an empty plate set in front of him. Yes, Ciel had finished another snack made by Sebastian.

Seeing them approach, Ciel motioned for Dorothea to sit on a chair across him. Intertwining his fingers together, he waited for her to speak. Dorothea sighed while Sebastian served her a slice of the same snack Ciel had eaten and poured her a cup of tea.

"Well? What were we supposed to be talking of?" She didn't want to come out as rude, but she just didn't know where to start.

"About you, _obviously_. What really happened and how you ended up in that state," Ciel hinted and took a sip of his tea. Dorothea bit her bottom lip, and tried summarizing her thoughts before she accidentally blurts out any unneeded information.

"My family doesn't know I'm still alive, and I have absolutely no intentions of letting them know. It's been five years since I ran away, so there's no point."

"You ran away? So who was it that died?"

"I had my own reasons for doing that, and if I should go back in time, I'd do it all over again. I don't know if you remember Olivia, my personal maid, who looked nearly identical to me. I wanted her to 'take my place', but then she followed me that night, and…" she paused and took a small bite of her food, swallowing it as though it could push down the sudden lump forming in her throat.

"And from then on, I cut my hair, pretended to be a peasant man named Alex. I did _everything I could_ to survive and not to be found out. But of course, secrets don't last that long, my hair grew and you know, _men_ ," she paused, and Ciel quickly understood. He nodded so she could continue on in her story.

"Until I got here, being chased down by them, plus I had my—!?" Dorothea's eyes went frantic and she gasped. "My bag! That's where my music box is, I was sure I had it with me when I came here,"

Sebastian suddenly pulled something from underneath the table, a carpetbag. "Is it this bag?" Sebastian can't seem to say her name; feeling slightly suspicious of her, still. He handed the bag over to the lady, who was now washed with relief. "Oh good, thank you so much. Sorry for the outburst, now where was I?"

"You were being chased by men,"

"Ah right, and that sums it up. They lost track of me in the forest surrounding this area, then I found the mansion. Of course, adrenaline was pulsing through my veins so, I went in through the back door, which was left unlocked and there, I collapsed." 

She smiled and sipped a bit of tea and followed up, "Now enough about me, I'm sure I'm allowed to ask questions too, am I not?" half of the slice remained uneaten when Dorothea began to ask the young earl some stuff she's been curious about.

"Well, I've only _heard_ of it, about this place… destroyed,"

"I won't talk about it, the same way you didn't elaborate on your reason for suddenly running away." Ciel immediately replied, and Sebastian has done a refill of his tea, his eyes intent on the lady across his master. "If that would be all, then it's time for us to finalize our _contract_."

"I'll let you stay on two conditions: One, you shall become my servant and two, you shall do anything and everything you can to protect this mansion and myself—to the point wherein you'd have to risk your own life. Understood?"

Dorothea nodded and finished her food and drink. Sebastian went to her side and poured her more. ' _Mm, Earl Grey… how tasty. Ciel's butler's not that bad at all._ ' She thought with a small smile as she drank half of her cup's contents. "This Earl Grey's delicious, uh, Sebastian, right? Thank you."

Sebastian's lips turned into a smirk until it quickly faded into a small smile, then bowed his head for a second, taking in the lady's words. He remained quiet as he watched his master and the brunette resume talking to each other.

"It's impossible that _they_ wouldn't visit or come here at some time in the future." Ciel paused, thinking how much of a chaos might happen if Elizabeth and her family will see Dorothea after five long years with the mindset that she died.

"I can't call you by your name since the wig didn't really help change your look. Although I'm amazed at how sturdy it is. You need to come up with a true enough _history_ so they would believe you." he told her.

Dorothea snorted, which was found unladylike by the two males, and she smirked, having the guts to tease Ciel. "I'm sure you've seen how much of a _wreck_ I was hours ago, and for you to think that this," she pointed to her now neat hair, "Is a wig? This is what my hair really looks like, Ciel. It was then that I was forced into a blonde wig, alright?" Dorothea didn't bother stating the reason behind that though. The young Phantomhive earl just put on a scowling face, which made the lady chuckle.

"But I do appreciate your concern for me, dearest cousin. It's just that I missed seeing you, and your cute, adorable moments, and your magnificent eyes." Her smile had now turned into a grin, whilst Ciel's scowl had an addition of a glare into it. Dorothea didn't mind. "Shut up, I just don't want Aunt Frances and Lizzie to get heart attacks since, as I have said, they believe you're dead."

' _Quite a traumatic event had made Ciel like_ this _… poor kid._ ' She thought.

Ciel sipped his tea again and she hummed. "Oh alright, just let me think. You see, my full name is Amelia Gwendoline Dorothea Midford; which is pretty long, and I do not understand why it has to be that long. But anyway, you have at least two other names to choose from; Wendy? Mia? I think the latter sounds nice, don't you agree?"

"Fine, _fine_." Ciel just nodded then changed the topic. He had now a smirk on his face, "I do wonder if you could handle being a housekeeper in this household. Am I right, Sebastian?"

"Indeed, you must prepare yourself… _Mia_."

Dorothea, whose name was now to be Amelia, darted her eyes back and forth from the blue-eyed teen to the wine red-eyed man. ' _How peculiar, his eyes… quite entrancing as well, once stared at long enough,_ '

"Then, from this day on, Ciel—no— _Young Master_ , I shall serve you with all I can." Amelia looked at him with a small smile, even standing up to bow before him.

"That's enough, then. Again, you better have a convincing story for your existence. That's an order."

"Yes, My Lord." She muttered, putting a hand to her chest before standing tall once more. From that point on, she and Sebastian were left alone in the setting sun. "Uhm… Sebastian," she began, after she finished folding the tablecloth. "Is Tanaka still here?" An image of Tanaka as a kick-ass old guy and not the cute, small version, was in Amelia's mind. Sebastian spared her a glance and replied, "He is now the house steward, since I am obviously the new butler. So, about your uniform, it will be delivered to you first thing in the morning. For now, please do enjoy the remaining hours you have left as our guest."

The new housekeeper nodded; picked up her bag and they both went back inside, albeit slowly for the girl's injury, "If you need help with anything at all, please do approach me or any of the staff you'll see around."

"Thank you so much, Sebastian. You may not trust me yet, but I believe we can work that out. I look forward to working with you," Amelia smiled and handed him the tablecloth. Sebastian returned it with a smile and a nod as well, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare the master's dinner." They both went their separate ways, Amelia heading back the same way she had remembered was to-be her new room.

After painful minutes of walking alone, Amelia finally reached her room, removed her boots and plopped down on the comforts of her bed. She yawned, and after deciding she wasn't hungry at all, she made a move to getting into a nightgown, a much more comfortable clothing.

"A corset is a female body's own prison, if I must say. I prefer the ropes they had me in when I woke up than this," She threw the clothing inside the cabinet, then the dress, and shut its doors.

She placed the music box on the bedside table and wound it to fill the room and her ears with soothing music, which of course, lulled her deep into sleep.

The following morning, there had been a knock on her door to wake her up, but she didn't respond to whoever was knocking. However, the presence of a black and white housekeeper uniform hanging from her door told Amelia that someone, most probably the maid, must have sneaked in while she was sleeping.

The brunette stretched her hands, and went to change into the uniform and another pair of boots were also there, she noticed. What had dawned on her was that the sizes were just right, as if they knew her bodily digits.

When she finished changing into the uniform and tying her hair, there were two knocks before Sebastian opened the door. "Mia, it seems you had quite a sleep in."

Amelia stood up from the vanity and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, it won't happen again."

"How is your ankle doing? Please do take care of it, as it would hinder you from performing to your utmost abilities."

"Yes, Mr. Sebastian." She replied as she quickly shut the music box, then followed the butler outside, saying that she was to be introduced to the other servants, which he believed were currently in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, but what time is it already?"

Sebastian looked outside, then back at Amelia. "Around two in the afternoon,"

Her eyes widened at this, and a dust of pink dusted her cheeks in embarrassment. Amelia hung her head low but Sebastian didn't mind and instead, the butler continued to a small conversation with Amelia, "So you really are Lady Elizabeth's older sister? Pardon me, but you don't seem to resemble her at all."

Amelia chuckled, somehow relieved that he didn't seem to be that mad and somehow, her confidence was saved. "I used to hear that a lot before. I look more like Father. However, even I don't have a cowlick, unlike them."

' _It was like that, I always "stood out" amongst them._ '

Sebastian nodded, though still trying to think it through if the girl really resembled the Marquis. But he figured that dwelling in on that wouldn't change anything.

"Ah, but in all honesty, I believe your forest green colored eyes are much more beautiful than the young Lady Elizabeth's own set of emerald green." Sebastian complimented.

Amelia could only then smile up at him in gratitude. Well, she never thought he would be a little bit sociable than expected.

"Oh please, there's no need for flattery, Mr. Sebastian. Ah, what is your full name again?"

"Sebastian Michaelis; and just calling me Sebastian is already fine. You and I are similar in ranking,"

Silence returned when they were finally, nearing the kitchen. But before the butler opened the doors, he murmured loud enough for Amelia to hear.

"Also, I think it is best for you to know this, since today is supposedly your first day at work," Amelia tilted her head and raised a brow, urging for him to continue. Sebastian held the double doors' handles and spoke in a low voice, that only the two of them can hear. 

" _Amelia, I don't lie._ "


	3. What Servants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

When they entered the kitchen, Amelia couldn't say anything. She was speechless, either from Sebastian's sudden statement or from the sight that was before her as she looked around.

Broken plates and teacups were everywhere.

Dust and ashes on what once was the stove, I think? It was burnt. Seriously. Burnt.

Pans and other cooking utensils, bent.

It was a terrible mess. Everything was utterly destroyed. The three stooges didn't seem to notice Amelia's wide eyes plus Sebastian's glare or even the two's presence though. That was until Sebastian spoke, " _You three_."

The sudden change of tone made Amelia rethink about what she thought of Sebastian is to people. ' _Ah, I better not be too troublesome around this guy._ ' was what she thought.

Amelia tried hard not to burst out laughing though; _they_ deliberately paused in what they were doing and slowly looked at Sebastian.

Altogether they knelt down by his feet and started begging for mercy and for their dear life. ' _Hm, I guess Sebastian is quite the strict butler._ ' Amelia thought as she watched. The butler started lecturing them and told them, "Really now, you all should take the example of Mr. Tanaka and be calm at all times."

Remembering Tanaka, Amelia turned to look at the cute yet old man who was there, sipping on his tea. She wanted to hug him and even talk to him but concluding that in his current state that it was impossible, she decided to wait and see him in his "human form".

Sebastian sighed before turning to look at Amelia, "Listen, from this day on she will be this manor's housekeeper." Said girl stepped up to introduce herself, "My name is Amelia, and just calling me Mia would be fine. I look forward to working with you all."

The brunette showed them a small smile before Sebastian said, "Now I think that was enough. Everyone, clean up this mess." He left the room since Ciel had called for him.

' _What? Done already? And he didn't even introduce them to me. Oh well…_ ' Her eyes scanned the three other servants who were looking back at her. Only Tanaka was the one Amelia knew among them, and obviously, she thought the stooges aren't really used to the cleaning stuff.

Let's say it was a nearly obvious fact.

There were two blond males; one Amelia presumed to be the chef with his Afro hair and the other one to be the gardener. The maid was a redhead with large round ultra thick glasses that already has a small crack on the side.

"So I guess we really should start cleaning up now, since the mess you guys made is terrible, no offense." Amelia said bluntly, starting to move and not minding her own injury.

"Hello, I'm Mey-rin, the maid." she smiled sheepishly as she went near the housekeeper to begin helping her as well.

"I'm Bardroy, call me Bard, and I'm the chef." He followed up, and so did the other blond.

"I'm Finnian but you can call me Finny. I'm the gardener!" he grinned. Amelia nodded then thought, ' _So if he's the gardener, what was he doing in the kitchen anyway?_ '

"Alright, how about you guys get cleaned first? Then, we clean and _then_ we talk. For now, I'll handle this as I wait for you to return." Amelia advised, sort of pitying them as well for their disheveled appearances.

"Ah, but Mr. Sebastian might scold us again, yes he will! And, er, from what he's told us, your ankle's injured!" Mey-rin said, fiddling with the hem of her apron.

"He told you that? Oh but _really_ , I can move, a few bruises won't stop me from working. Just quickly change and catch up with me. Trust me on this."

Amelia said as nice as she could as she pat Mey-rin's shoulder gently. Hesitantly, off they went, following what the brunette had told them to do.

After a few minutes or so, the three of them returned looking like normal servants and Amelia was nearly halfway done. The only things left were the bent things and the broken stove. She wasn't _that_ strong to return them back into their original shape.

The brunette asked Mey-rin to help her clean off the black stuff on the walls and told Bardroy to repair the stove after. "Um, Bard? How exactly do you cook?" the housekeeper asked, wiping off the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

He scratched the back of his head before replying with a lazy-sounding voice, "I use flamethrowers or blowtorches, y'know to cook food _faster_." The rest of the servants sweat-dropped especially Amelia. This was the first time she was dealing with servants like them. ' _Did he think he was in the military or what?_ '

"Ah, I see. Well, you know, good things come to those who wait. Maybe next time you could try not or avoid using explosives." She advised, hoping she wouldn't see another explosion soon. Well, we all know Amelia shouldn't get her hopes up. Bardroy was about to complain about how she reminded him of Sebastian but her question cut him off.

"How about these bent utensils? How did that happen?" at the mention of it, Finnian smiled sheepishly and tapped Amelia's shoulder for her to look at him.

"I went in the kitchen since I was done with my job at the garden. But as I entered, Mey-rin tripped and got in the way, breaking the tea set. It shocked me so I accidentally held on to pans and other utensils so I won't land on the floor face first."

The housekeeper stayed silent for a while, trying to absorb the things they said.

' _For every good thing's a bad thing; so Sebastian is that good for these three to be… not as much. So this is what Ciel meant by being a housekeeper in_ this _household._ ' Amelia thought in her head and continued to be silent as they put the kitchen back in order. Instead of inquiring about their mess anymore, she asked the gardener to try restoring the original structure of the utensils.

Luckily for them, the poor utensils didn't break in half.

When finished, Amelia prepared them a little snack for doing a job well done. "So, Finny… how strong are you?" she asked, nibbling on the sandwich she herself made. The housekeeper sat next to the redheaded maid, who sat across the chef that sat next to Finnian.

"I don't really know. But, I was experimented on and... those people killed my friends. They locked me up, and kept me inside." He paused. 'Those _people? I wonder who._ ' she thought, curious of his back-story.

"They gave me injections every day and made me and my friends kill each other." he sighed sadly. "Before, I didn't get to go outside like this all the time, so now every day's lots of fun! I can come in contact with trees and insects... and people too. But at first I was frightened. It's really hard for me to touch something without breaking it."

Amelia felt relief spread through her because as Finnian had said, he is trying. She waited for him to speak, since he seemed to be unfinished yet.

"The Young Master doesn't give me injections every single day like those other people did. Young Master doesn't make my friends and I kill each other. Nor does he keep me locked up. I love this place. And that's why I made up my mind from when I got settled in here, that I'm going to protect this place." he grinned at her, cheeks slightly pink, making her smile at him in return.

' _Superhuman strength, huh?_ '

Next, she turned to Bardroy, "So I'm guessing you're some kind of soldier before, seeing at how you know your explosives and all," Bardroy nodded and he started to tell his story. The three stooges had found another friend, obviously, being comfortable around Amelia now.

Bardroy revealed to her that he's an American who was once in a war and was the only survivor though, which obviously explains why the flamethrower and blowtorch and stuff like those were used for cooking.

"Until Sebastian came and here I am. Though, I really don't get to cook much since Sebastian's always interfering. The kitchen is the chef's sanctuary and his alone... the _butler_ himself isn't allowed to stick his nose in." he grunted and slightly ranted to the housekeeper.

' _Ah, but if you cook normally he wouldn't have to._ '

"Oh one day you will, you'll see Bard." She decided to reassure him, once seeing his face going down. The brunette decided not to make him feel worse about himself, if it could, at all, help or inspire him to do better.

Amelia turned to the maid now. "Ah, Mey-rin, I'd like to thank you for bringing in my uniform for me. Though I don't know if you've noticed but your glasses. The left lens has a _crack_. Maybe you should replace them—!" the brunette was reaching for Mey-rin's glasses but she held tightly onto them.

"No!" she cut in. Amelia raised a brow at her. "W-well, you see I'm far sighted. I worked as a sniper due to it, and my boss said being a sniper was the only way to put my farsightedness to use." The brunette nodded.

"Young Master bought these for me! My treasure, they are! And this maid uniform too. I'd never worn skirts or any such thing 'til I came here, so I'm happy to be a maid now," she said as she touched her glasses.

"That's nice, knowing all of you guys feel comfortable telling your life stories to me. It is nice meeting new friends I know I can trust, who I feel, they trust me in return." Amelia smiled at them.

"Right, we're all friends now, yes we are!" Mey-rin said.

"How about you Amelia? How did you come here? Heh, Mey-rin found you here in the kitchen so…" Finnian asked, scratching the back of his head smiling sheepishly.

Unbeknownst to them, the butler stood outside hearing their conversation—half of it. Amelia took in a deep breath until the kitchen doors opened; Sebastian decided it was time to cut it off. The four servants stood up suddenly, leaving Amelia wincing at her ankle, and they faced Sebastian. Only the three stooges seemed to be nervous for obvious reasons, which Amelia doesn't seem to know.

"I prefer that you go do your jobs already instead of gossiping. You could do that in your free time but not now." The three of them instantly disappeared from Amelia's side. She frowned and thought, ' _Traitors. Such friends they are, oh well._ '

"That includes you, Mia." Sebastian added, staring at her with a stern face. Shaking off her sudden nervousness, she saluted with a small smirk and went off, feeling Sebastian's gaze on her back.

After Amelia had finished the rest of the work for that day, which meant more cleaning up after the three other servants, she made another sandwich for her to eat. She still hasn't had the appetite for any _real_ food.

She went straight to her room after eating, and quickly changed to her nightclothes. She plopped on the bed and stretched, her hair now free from restraints, sprawled out everywhere. It seemed like a long day has just gone by, even if she did wake up late.

She stared up the ceiling in delight and smiled, being welcomed by her new bed again. "Time flies so fast… I'm about to sleep again," Then, she got back up again and grabbed her necklace, then re-opened her music box.

She let the music fill her ears and the room, as she let a number of different thoughts into her head, then began to drift off to sleep, unknown to her that a certain someone was watching her sleeping figure closely. In her defenseless state, a certain raven-haired butler was standing in the darkest part of Amelia's room.

' _Nearly two days have passed since this girl suddenly showed up in the mansion. My suspicions turned into interest; surely she must be hiding something..._ ' the butler thought, taking slow, careful steps nearing the brunette's bed. Sebastian ran his gloved thumb lightly, over the girl's exposed cheek, which had just a few more marks from the scratches she received.

"How is it possible that _I_ am attracted to... this _being_... this _scent_ ," the demon began to talk in a low voice, scrutinizing Amelia's features.

"I want to hurt you, _so badly_ , but I can't," his hand now reached for the strands of the girl's hair and held it as though it were something so fragile, and took a deep breath, inhaling the housekeeper's scent. "Surely there must be something about you, your soul perhaps?"

"I can only be sure of one thing, my dearest lady," Sebastian murmured, glaring down at the sleeping human before him, as if he were talking to her. " _You'll have to become mine, and mine alone._ "

His body began to ache, feeling his empty existence receive a sudden jolt, an electrifying kind of sensation that run throughout his insides. It even made him gasp.

' _Impossible... no, I will_ never _accept a human to be—_ '

Amelia stirred in her sleep and turned away, and the butler could only watch as her tresses slipped away from his fingers. His wine red eyes darted over towards the music box, wound it again to continue playing, before leaving the room and met the darkness of the Phantomhive mansion.

His eyes turned into their demon-like, pinkish-purple, and irises that turned into slits; the heels of his shoes echoing through the halls. "Whether it be true or not, I would still have to confirm it. But still," he paused as he stood beside the glass windows, with the moonlight shining down on him. The butler stared at the night sky outside, as though he were thinking of something.

A few moments later, he resumed his rounds around the manor and Sebastian's lips curled into a wide smirk, which turned into a deep chuckle.

"One day... _Amelia_."


	4. The Rat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s._

" _Somehow, there seems to be a rat in here too._ " Azzuro Vener spoke, before hitting a ball with his cue stick.

" _How long do you intend to let that harmful animal that scavenges for food and spreads disease around do as it pleases?_ " said a fat nobleman, munching on a sandwich.

" _Shall we let it do as it pleases? Or shall we let it swim?_ " added another person, Lau, a Chinese. He then hit a ball with his own cue stick.

" _Yes, he always aims for the nine-ball. Will you pass again, Count Phantomhive?_ " asked a woman this time, with short red hair. Well, everything about her was red. So I guess you all know who she is and for those who don't, it's Madame Red.

The said Count smirked before leaning on his seat, " _Pass. The ball that can't help hitting is an un-hit principle._ "

" _That's good judgment. When will the rat be exterminated?_ " Arthur Randall spoke as Azzuro took another shot at the ball.

The young earl replied, " _Soon, I've already received the ingredients from Clause. We will eradicate the rat that finds its nest after we break a few of its bones. When can I receive the compensation for it?_ "

Arthur stood in silence and glared at him for a second then, " _You_ vulture…"

Ciel looked at him darkly and frowned, " _Do you possess the_ right _to insult our crest? You, a_ bloodhound _that can't even catch_ one rat?" The older guy grimaced at his statement.

" _Too bad, it's a fall. Billiard's hard…_ " Lau said, complaining, sighing deeply as Azzuro turned to the young earl, " _Next is the Count. What will you do? Will you put an end to this waiting game?" Ciel stood from his seat, walking past Arthur._

" _When will you be able to prepare the compensation?_ " he repeated his question, this time, his voice sounding a bit more menacing than before, making Arthur stutter out his answer. " _Th-this evening…_ "

Ciel got into position, " _That's fine. Afterwards, a carriage will come to pick you up. Please wait for high tea to be prepared._ "

Arthur clenched his teeth in anger, both at his self and the young earl's cockiness, and he left one last message to the young boy. "'Greed' _will destroy your body… Ciel!_ "

The young earl remained a straight face before hitting the ball, eventually hitting the nine-ball.

"Greed… _you say?_ " he mumbled.

* * *

It has been a few months since Amelia has been staying in the Phantomhive mansion. She got settled in, and it was much easier for her to remember where and for what the rooms are for, and all the things a Phantomhive servant must know since all she needed was a little reminiscing and reviewing.

The brunette had also received her pay, and she grinned, saying it was her first time again in a long time to have money on her hands, with Sebastian commenting that he didn't even need those. Amelia didn't bother and just nodded, acknowledging the fact that Sebastian wasn't some worldly man.

Of course, being the new addition to the dynamic household, she eventually found out how much destruction the other three servants could make.

Also, she found out how Sebastian and Bardroy would sometimes argue, with Sebastian being the winner. Mey-rin, Finnian and Amelia would just watch them.

' _Well... thinking about it, those were more like a routine already, honestly._ ' She thought as she made her way around the manor. There are times that Amelia would just leave the room out of annoyance and roam around and do other things like play a few notes on the piano, or sketch, which then would lead to Sebastian getting mad at her too.

Ciel would sometimes complain about the noise and the ruckus, but to no avail, which was kind of expected. She would only sigh at this. Sometimes she'd help the others but Sebastian would end up scolding her. Again.

' _I mean, what's wrong with helping them? It lessens the mess too. Tanaka would sit there; sip his tea and say, "Ho-ho-ho!" and now, I wonder if Santa Claus had already possessed him._ '

She thought back on the events during the stay she's had in the Phantomhive mansion. Amelia turned on the doorknob, carrying with her some wires and supplies. Lately, rats had been infesting London and now, the pests had reached them too.

' _Damn those rats! Of all places to infest, why the manor?!_ ' she sighed warily; ever since those damn rats have been paying them a visit, well, things went slightly worse.

While organizing stuff in the kitchen, placing them in their rightful places, Amelia heard a high-pitched voice, followed by the sound of crashing things, which resounded through the manor. She sweat-dropped, "Ah, when will they learn?" she shook her head in disappointment, running a hand through her hair and went to where _they_ probably were.

On the way, she heard a few meows and purrs too. "Where did those cats even come from? Those three are…"

The brunette wondered aloud, pinching the bridge of her nose to at least try and relieve the stress building up in her. She neared them and heard Tanaka's great 'ho-ho-ho'-ing as well.

"What is with all the ruckus? Are you not aware that we will be having guests?" Amelia placed her hands on her waist, voice reprimanding. The noise was giving her a headache, and that meant her temper was a bit shorter than usual.

She waited for them to stop and to see if they even listened but no. They won't even listen to her since they're too engrossed to _rat catching_.

"What are all of you doing?" a male's voice said this time, who was owned by Sebastian, and was loud enough for them to hear. Amelia had thought of yelling at them, but after weighing the differences, she found that it would be too stressful and it won't lessen the noise and it'll make them scared of her. Almost instantly, she began to feel pity for them.

" _'What'_ you say? We've decided to capture the rats!" Bardroy replied to the butler angrily. But even after all that, they never even caught a single rat. Sebastian was going to say something but was stopped when Ciel called for him to give an order, which was to escort Duke Randall by carriage back home to his own mansion.

"Understood. Then, when I finish the preparations for the carriage, I will bring up some afternoon tea to your room. I have prepared apple and raisin dip pie for today's snack. I will bring it to you when it's baked, so please just wait a bit." replied Sebastian with a small smile and a hand over his chest.

Amelia involuntarily licked her lips at the mention of the snack. She admits that she sometimes envy Ciel since he gets to eat all the yummy treats made by Sebastian. One thing she missed, Amelia realized, was the free treats. Probably because of it, she _would_ regret running away.

One time, she dipped her finger on the mix, when Sebastian made chocolate cake, and it was so delicious she couldn't stop.

But as expected, the butler caught her in the act and was forced to "help" him make another one.

Back to the current timeline, the demon turned to his subordinates. Amelia looked down, seeing three nasty rats going her way. Quickly, she bent and caught them by their tails. When she stood straight, she saw Sebastian putting three other rats in the net Tanaka held.

Finding the old guy cute—who _wouldn't_ —the brunette walked over to the house steward and put the rats she caught in the net too.

Amelia spoke before Sebastian did. " _Seriously_ , must you make too much of a fuss when all you had to do was to catch these rats? And look at those," she pointed at the pieces of what once to be a whole statue of some sort, probably coming from the garden, "Try not to break too much, alright? Now clean it up."

She rarely got this serious about things, but then, Amelia thought this was her limit. Her eyes met Sebastian's for a brief moment, and once again, the housekeeper was fascinated at his temper. She had wished and chose to remain positive that they weren't going to be this hopeless.

Ciel suddenly walked back to where they were, "Ah, Mia. Come with me for a while."

Bowing her head, obeying her cousin's orders, Amelia followed behind him after sparing the other servants one last look.

"Now, please do your work without playing around. As what Mia has said, we will be having guests tonight."

Amelia heard Sebastian's voice, which to her, seemed quite scary. ' _Poor fellows, having to undergo the butler's frightening side…_ '

Ciel and his cousin were walking down the hallway to his study. "So, how are you doing lately?" he began, making the brunette smile as she tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm doing just fine, thank you for asking. It's not everyday that I encounter something too big of a problem, except, well, _them_ ," she emphasized.

"But apart from that fact, I still am grateful to you for taking me in. I never imagined I would be able to experience such comfort again in my life."

Ciel nodded, and though he doesn't show it, he was pleased upon hearing this. Amelia kept talking, "But I think those three are… are really, quite… a _handful_."

Even if they're master-and-servant now, Ciel still treats her as his cousin and they talk to each other casually when it's just the two of them. Ciel hummed, agreeing with what Amelia said, "Well, that's good to hear from you. I've been meaning to ask you something, if you have noticed anything _strange_ about Sebastian?"

Amelia opened his door for him, thinking, ' _Sebastian? Strange?_ '

"He _is_ strange; in a way that he's too good at his job, and well, the way that his eyes are a of a peculiar shade of red. Is it alright if I asked you for the reason behind your inquiry?"

Ciel shook his head, realizing his mistake, as he made his way near his leather seat and decided that he had to change the topic.

"How can this house's servants always be so _peaceful_?" the young earl murmured loud enough for Amelia to hear, earning a chuckle from the lady. And she understood, choosing to ignore the earl's words. The brunette had closed the door and was making her way near Ciel, when she replied, "Sarcastic, aren't you? You do realize, I _am_ a servant as we—?!"

The housekeeper was cut off as two strong hands grabbed her from behind, covering both her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Amelia looked to the side and saw Ciel being dragged away, a handkerchief covering his mouth and nose too. 'Wh-what's thi—?' she gasped in her head as a strange smell entered her nose.

Amelia tried not to breathe and held her breath but it was useless and too late. The smell had begun to spread through her head, making Amelia feel dizzy. ' _It's… Oh no, Ciel! I'm sorry... D-damn… it..._ ' her green eyes were welcomed by darkness as they slowly closed.


	5. Super Butler!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

Sebastian walked to his master's study to bring him his afternoon snacks and tea. He knocked on the door twice, "Young Master, I have brought the afternoon tea." He waited for the little earl's permission to let him enter, but silence was the only thing he heard. He knocked again, "Young Master?" and finally deciding that there had to be something wrong for Ciel not to have answered, the butler opened the door.

He saw the windows were left open, the wind blowing off the neatly piled papers and the curtains. "What is the meaning of this," he sighed, putting a gloved hand to his chin, "Ah, how terrible. Now the tea I worked so hard to prepare will be meaningless."

From somewhere far away from that mansion, Amelia fluttered her eyes open and looked around. ' _D-damn… where am I?_ ' she thought, wincing slightly as she moved her head and saw Ciel bruised and bloody, his arms and legs chained. Amelia scowled at the sight and felt her blood suddenly boil.

"Who would've thought that the President of the World's Best Toy factory is just a boy, right? Ciel Phantomhive."

The brunette snapped up to look at the source of the voice. ' _Shit, and just who is that bastard?!_ ' Amelia cursed in her mind, as she tried to wriggle free from the ropes.

"Looks can be deceiving; well, it's oddly understandable that the _king_ of a toy palace is a child." He continued.

Ciel stared up at his captor with an icy glare using his exposed eye. "So it really was you, of the Ferro family; _Azzuro Vener_." The young Phantomhive spoke with such venom in his voice.

"You know _little_ Phantomhive, the Italian family founds this country bothersome. It's really a pain." The bad guy said.

"You do realize you have the choice of jumping off a cliff or putting a gun to your heads? Just so you can end that pain, there are a whole lots of ways." Amelia suddenly spoke, sarcasm evident in her tone.

Azzuro twitched in anger and went to where the brunette was sprawled out on the floor. "Shut up you slave!" he slapped Amelia but the girl only smirked at his pathetic move, however, Ciel's eyes would only widen at this.

"Tch. Now where was I? Ah, right, so, when you actually do think about it, what's the most beneficial market for people like us?" he continued talking to the teen earl.

Amelia only shook her head and tuned him out since Azzuro was getting on her nerves. She resumed to wriggling herself free from the ropes that bound her. ' _Whoever put the cursed ropes on me? I'd have to give that person a beating. But why was I so careless anyway?_ '

Azzuro grabbed a gun and pointed it at Ciel, catching Amelia's attention and she momentarily stopped her attempts to getting free. "Don't mess with adults, ' _Little Master_ '! We're already keeping your servants waiting. Where _are_ the goods? If you don't spill quickly, I'll kill all your servants _one by one_!"

Taken aback by what Azzuro said, Amelia lashed out at him again. "Just because I let my guard down for a minute doesn't mean you should think of us as ' _just some servants_ '." She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

Ciel was reminded of Sebastian by her actions, which made a grin to form on his lips.

"It would be nice if cute little puppies were able to ' _fetch_ '." Azzuro raised his leg up to hit Ciel, but Amelia moved somehow, a futile attempt at using her body as a shield. She blocked his kick that was intended for her cousin, making him look at her in shock. Amelia turned her head to look at him, with a smile, ignoring the fact that warm blood was rolling down to her chin.

"Didn't you hear me?! Negotiations are over. Kill him!" Azzuro yelled at the person on the other line of the phone.

Meanwhile, back inside the Phantomhive manor, Sebastian was in the hallway, looking for his Young Master while carrying the pie on his hand.

He paused in his tracks, ' _And right when I finished the dip pie too… now then, where did he go out to "visit"?_ ' he thought. "M-Mr. Sebastian!" he turned to look at the redheaded girl running down the hallway.

"Just now, in the entrance hall, a letter—!" Sebastian cut her. "To whom is it addressed to?"

"Um, it's ad-addressed to… _'Sir Ciel Phantomhive and Valet'_ —!" Mey-rin stepped on the lace of her boot, a little scream escaping her lips. Just at the same time, a bullet was shot from a sniper hidden in the trees, aimed for Sebastian.

Thanks to Mey-rin being such a klutz, she had saved both her and Sebastian's life by accidentally pushing him down to the carpeted floor.

Or maybe, she saved herself from the truth of Sebastian's nature.

Shattered glass was everywhere from the attack. Failing, the sniper in the trees jumped off and ran away. Sebastian caught the pie on the platter, the flustered Mey-rin still on top of him. They both sat up, "Mey-rin, is that letter—"

"E-Eh?! Ah! Right here, yes!" she stammered, probably because of their awkward position, as she handed the envelope to the butler. "What an undignified invitation…" Sebastian commented with a slight frown as he read the letter that had such messy penmanship.

"Before I forget, Mey-rin, have you seen Mia?" he looked at the flustered maid, his face showing no emotion at all.

Mey-rin shook her head, "Th-the last time I saw Mrs. Amelia was w-when we were catching rats," she fiddled with her fingers and continued, her voice slowly lowering in volume. "S-Strange, though, I, after that incident, haven't seen her in a while, yes! She was with the Y-Young Master Ciel too…"

Sebastian nodded firmly, "Ah, I see. Thank you."

' _I can't sense her anywhere near too... As I thought._ ' The butler told himself, sighing exasperatedly in his head.

The commotion caught the attention of the other two blonds and they ran to where the maid and butler were. "Hey! What the hell happened?!" shouted Bardroy while running with Finnian not far behind him, "Are you alright? Woah, they're sitting on each other!"

Sebastian helped the maid to get up, "Oh, it was nothing much. My apologies everyone, but can I entrust the cleaning and supper preparations to you?" he pat his uniform free of the invisible dust and dirt.

"Huh? That's fine but…" Bardroy replied.

"I have a bit of minor business to take care of. After you finish, clean this too please." He handed Bardroy the untouched pie and left so suddenly.

Bardroy ended up being slightly confused, with a fainting Mey-rin and a Finnian catching the fainting Mey-rin in the background.

* * *

"You failed?! You _useless_ bastards! This is why you're worth _less than shit_! I'm through with you so return at once!" shouted an angry Azzuro at the phone.

"W-Wait… some trouble just came up," said the guy on the other line nervously.

After that, their screams of terror and screeching sounds could be heard. "What the hell?!" the confused and shocked Azzuro spurted his thoughts aloud. "What's wrong? Did a bear show up or something?" more screeching and screams were the answer to his mocking question.

A vein appeared on his forehead, "What's with you guys, is it something you can't handle?!" Azzuro could roll his eyes at his men but he decided not to, after hearing his men's frantic voices on the other line as they argued.

_"Give me more speed!"_

_"That's not possible!"_

Azzuro could only raise a brow at this.

"It's no use, _it's coming_!" a guy said.

"What's coming? Hey, jokes won't be—!" and their shrieks of terror—followed suit. "Cut it out you fucking bastards!" however, there was no coherent reply.

Just screams and cries of fear and something that sounded like wreckage could be heard. Then, there was silence. Azzuro remained quiet as he waited. Finally, his patience wore thin. "Hey! What's wrong?!"

Ciel started to snicker, catching the attention of the now, semi-freaked out Azzuro.

"It would appear that ' _Go fetch_ ' has failed." Amelia smirked at her cousin's statement and at Azzuro's facial expression. "Phantomhive servants aren't to be underestimated, don't you agree with me now?" She followed up, full of confidence, and snickered together with her cousin.

"Shut up you stupid brats!" he proceeded to stepping on both of them, staining his shoes with blood. The two panted, blood covering their faces and body.

Turning his attention back to the men on the other, deadly silent, phone line, Azzuro began to shout at the mouthpiece. "Hey! If you don't answer, I'll kill you, you mongrels! _Hey_!"

" _Hello_?"

It wasn't the same voice he had been talking to, since this one, was deep and velvety, leaving Azzuro stunned and he shut up for a second.

"Hello? I am a member of the Phantomhive household." Azzuro dropped his cigar and started shaking. "I hope our Master hasn't been troubling you."

" _Hello_? Is something the matter? I do believe that one of our servants had accompanied the Young Master to your place."

The Italian dude gritted his teeth in anger as the butler continued to speak over the line.

" _Woof_."

"So… it _is_ you?"

Ciel had _barked_ while Amelia had spoken in some sort of disbelief; then silence filled the air of the room.

"Understood, then, I'll come for the both of you soon, so please wait a little bit longer." the clicking sound was heard on Azzuro's line, telling him that whoever was that person, had ended the call.

Back to where Sebastian is, he was talking to the two men whom he had chased. The car they were on was hanging by the cliff. "Incidentally, there are other things I'd like to hear from you. Is that acceptable?" Sebastian asked with a serene smile on his face, and the two nodded hysterically, fearing for their own life.

"First, your owner's name, please, gentlemen. Come now, I'm _not_ a very patient person."

The two men kept shivering in dread of the butler in front of them, unable to answer. "You don't want to end up… like Humpty Dumpty, do you?" he smirked and the men quickly blurted out the answer.

"The Ferro family's Azzuro Vener! H-He's setting up a hideout north of the East End!" Sebastian looked at them with a straight face then grinned once more. "Is that so?"

"We were o-o-only hired out!" they answered.

"Then I apologize for detaining you." Sebastian said as he stood up then continued, "Please, enjoy your _trip_." He jumped off and watched for a short while as the two men in the car fell to their death.

He turned around and got his pocket watch, "Oh dear, it's this late already. At this rate, I shall be late for dinner." He closed the device, leaving without looking back at the explosion behind him.

* * *

"The brat's watchdog is on its way over! Lock down the door and have the men on their guard!" shouted Azzuro frantically, ordering his numerous men around. "Have every point secured! Don't let him set a single foot in here!" they all were running around the mansion like a hundred and one puppies, with guns on their hands, following their master's orders.

Outside, one guy yelled, "Be on the look out! Hurry!" and they all waited, not even noticing that Sebastian was already among them as he walked to the mansion's stairs.

"Not bad, I like this mansion's style." The butler said, just to catch the attention of all the men.

They aimed their guns at him, obviously shocked to see him just appear out of thin air. "Why are you here?! How the hell did you get in!" they questioned him.

Sebastian put a finger to his chin and shrugged, "You were all too busy to notice my entry."

"What's with the tailcoat?! Who the _fuck_ are you?!" they kept yelling questions at him.

"Ah, forgive me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Phantomhive's butler." He said with a smirk, his hand on his chest.

In a matter of seconds, all the men were on the floor injured, their arms and legs twisted in the most inhuman way possible, making movement impossible. "Pardon me, I am in somewhat of a hurry." Sebastian said, closing his pocket watch shut.

' _Five-thirty… I don't have much time left._ ' He thought as he entered Azzuro's mansion.

When Sebastian closed the door, "Over there! _Fire_!" and numbers of gunshots could be heard throughout the place. The Phantomhive butler easily dodged each attack, using the platter as a boomerang. He grabbed a coat stand and hit the men, mostly on their heads, leaving them unconscious.

"Five thirty-four…" he proceeded to the dining hall where numbers of another round of gunshots welcomed him.

"There he is! Kill him!" Sebastian used the platter for a shield this time; and he threw the plates on the long dining table aimed at the men's heads.

"Call back the guards! Beat this guy to a pulp!" one of the surviving men said.

"These _vermin_ , have wasted so much of my time... It's five thirty-eight."

At the time, in the Phantomhive mansion, the three servants were circling around the snack that Sebastian had left for them to 'clean up'.

"It's decided! Even though they are not back yet, it's their own fault! I'm going to finish off this pie!" Bardroy proclaimed, finally having a decision. "Making us wait this long! I want to drink red tea as compensation!"

"Mey-rin, go make tea and bring out the good tea set!" he ordered the maid and the said girl saluted. Finnian went to get some silverware that were kept within one of the drawers.

"Okay, over here's the… huh?" Finnian pursed his lips.

"What's the matter?" asked Bardroy. "Strange, I was sure they were here. All the silverware has disappeared! If Miss Mia finds out," Finnian said with a half confused and half worried face.

What they didn't know was that a certain butler had carried all of those with him.

Sebastian drew out the knives and forks from his coat's pockets and threw it at the men, hitting their heads and killing them all instantly. He jumped, ran on the dining table, jumping up once again and threw more knives and forks at them.

It was indeed, raining knives and forks.

Screams of pain and agony could be heard everywhere, with blood splattering on walls and the floor, and just everywhere.

"I-impossible! Just what the hell is he?!"

"He's only Phantomhive's _butler_! Why is he this strong?!"

Silence soon followed, with Sebastian hanging upside down on the chandelier, looking like… a bat.

"Alright, that should be about it… Five forty-three."

They all waited; Azzuro and what remained of his men, Ciel, and of course, Amelia. The brunette didn't know why she felt so safe suddenly, ever since knowing that Sebastian had come to rescue them and that he's already arrived. ' _I hope he's fine…_ ' she thought and continued.

' _Ah, what am I thinking? Of course he's alive. I can see it in Ciel's eyes, I should trust him. And why am I even thinking about this? It's not that I'm actually concerned or what, it's also for Ciel's sake._ ' Amelia shook her head and started to focus. She looked up at Azzuro who's beginning to quiver with fear; his gun pointed at the door as he anticipated for something dangerous.

She smirked, waiting for the doors to open, the ticking of the clock becoming music to her ears.

Just then, the doors creaked and opened.

"I thank you for looking after our Master." Sebastian entered, and did a really, low bow to Azzuro, who in return had shock evident on his facial features. The Italian managed a scoff before speaking. "Hah, I never thought you could single-handedly take on all those men. Amazing, I was expecting some kind of superhuman, not a butler in a black tailcoat."

Sebastian kept a fake smile on his face, listening to all of Azzuro's blabbering. "Who are you really? A killer sent by the Phantomhive to save their Young Master? Or an undercover, special task officer? You can't really be _just_ a butler."

"No, I am _just_ your average butler." Sebastian answered confidently and firmly. "Oh really? I've never met a butler of your talents before. I'm impressed."

"However…" Azzuro paused, grabbing Ciel's chains and putting him before Sebastian since Amelia was sort of, blocking the butler's view. Sebastian and Amelia followed his every move with their eyes. Azzuro grabbed Ciel by the hair and locking him in his right arm, while his left hand was pointing a gun to the earl's head.

The sudden action made Amelia gasp and her heartbeat to speed up. At the moment, she only wants to kill the Italian and nothing more.

Amelia looked for something to remove the ropes binding her. Seeing the pocketknife that Azzuro kept, which was protruding out, the brunette rolled over behind him, sneakily grabbing it from his pocket.

Carefully, she cut off the ropes with it, trying hard to not accidentally cut herself. Meanwhile, Azzuro was too focused and, well, nervous at the situation he's gotten himself into so he didn't notice this. Sebastian however, decided to watch the housekeeper instead and waited for what she was about to do.

"If you want to save him, you'll have to go through me first. You don't want to see your cute little master with a hole in his head, do y—!"

Amelia did the stupidest thing she believed she ever did in her whole, messed up life.

With all the strength she had left, the brunette grabbed him through his hair as well, and locked Azzuro's neck in her arms, enough for him to let go of his gun and Ciel. "G-Get off of me you… you whore!" he yelled at Amelia.

Sebastian continued to watch her, astounded at her sudden attack. Even Ciel was surprised at the strength Amelia has. Then again, she _is_ a Midford. She's _The_ prodigy! But ever since her 'death', Elizabeth has taken that title.

Amelia frowned, confused as to why Sebastian wasn't doing _anything_ to free Ciel while she had the bastard in her arms. This made her waver, and her strength giving up on her. Azzuro saw this chance, and elbowed Amelia's stomach. He then faced her and strangled the poor brunette, her back hitting the wall.

"You know you're pretty," he paused, and then let her fall to the ground when she was nearly out of breath. Azzuro began to step on her, kick her, making the housekeeper turn into a bloody mess. "…Pretty nice to step on,"

The master-butler duo only watched as she winced in pain, and Amelia fought herself from screaming in pain the whole time. She noticed Ciel's eyes widened, and Sebastian's eyes narrowed, for a tiny bit, then returned to their original size.

She felt dumb that moment, with letting her emotions get the best of her. Azzuro got on top of Amelia, seeing that she was still conscious.

' _Just… why is he just standing there?_ '

"You may look like a pretty chic but you should learn your place you little rat!" he slapped her face a few times. Sebastian glared at the position they were in, but she didn't notice that, while Amelia felt numb.

Nevertheless, she managed to smirk and was still able to speak, "You're the rat here, not me."

Now this made Azzuro pretty angry so he punched Amelia in the stomach one last time. "Shut up!" she glared up at him, the stupid rat.

The last thing the brunette saw with her green eyes was that Sebastian brought out something from his coat and Azzuro grabbing Ciel by the hair again. ' _Damn. I feel useless and stupid today. I brought all this to myself, then?_ ' She thought as blackness soon filled her vision and passed out, sweaty and bloody.

A few minutes later, Amelia felt something warm against her. She groaned, feeling the pain on her body as she fluttered her eyes open. "Ah, you're finally awake." A familiar voice said and instantly, her green orbs widened, gasped, and she pulled away, almost falling on the ground.

Lucky for her, Sebastian was really strong and managed to pull her back to his body. Only then did Amelia realize that the butler was carrying both her and Ciel home. "Wh-what happened? H-how did you…?" Amelia stared at Sebastian dumbfounded. He only smiled at the housekeeper, not answering the question.

Instead, he teased her saying, "It seems you really are the Young Master's cousin, since both of you are good at taking the role of a _'damsel in distress'_." Both cousins scowled and scoffed.

"But what you did earlier…" at the mention of this, Amelia blushed making Sebastian smirk.

"Sh-shut up! I just… acted upon instinct. I did promise Ci—the Young Master—that I would do anything to protect him. However, I was quite _confused_ as to why you were just _standing there_." Amelia retorted, and this time Ciel spoke in his butler's defense.

"Sebastian knew that there were still some of Azzuro's men, hiding behind a fake wall painting, and that if he moved even an inch, he'd get killed, leading to our own demise. And what's with 'Young Master'? You can call me by name if it's just Sebastian."

Amelia pursed her lips, looked away and sighed. "But if that Italian bastard still breathes, please do give me the pleasure of ending it." The brunette grumbled with a frown on her features.

Sebastian continued to walk, and the three of them enjoyed and felt comfortable in the silence.

"Ah! Mr. Sebastian is back!" shouted Finnian. "We're back," the butler said, as if it wasn't obvious. The three stooges bombarded the other trio with questions.

"Mr. Sebastian, what happened? Oh my, Mrs. Amelia! Why are you…?" Mey-rin said, making an arched brow rise at the maid's choice of words, referring to her as _'Mrs.'_

"Sebastian, hurry and tell us what happened!" Bardroy insisted, with that grumpy face of his. "Master Ciel! How could—!" Finnian was cut off by Sebastian, "He only had a fall and _Amelia_ here tried to catch him but fell as well."

"Holding him and Mia like that… so _romantic_! I'm so envious!"

Amelia's eyes widened at Finnian's statement and both she and Ciel immediately got off of the earl's butler, who caught the housekeeper once again, since she actually missed her step. "You think this is funny, do you!?" Ciel hit Finnian on his head and the housekeeper sighed. ' _Romantic, huh?_ '

"Master, I deeply apologize as Phantomhive's butler and to have allowed such things to happen. I have failed you. So please allow me to be responsible for tonight's dinner." Sebastian knelt down with a hand on his chest. Feeling a little guilty, since it was partly her fault they got abducted, Amelia bowed as well and said, "My apologies as well, Young Master for being a careless housekeeper."

* * *

Later that evening, Amelia had tended to her wounds already, and decided that she wanted to just lie down instead of filling her growling stomach. Fortunately, she knew that she was still able to move, however both the butler and her cousin had advised and gave her permission to take a rest in her room, and that she didn't have to work for that night. So, she changed into her nightwear with her hair free from the messy bun. "I'm injured, again. Oh dear, it feels as if I'm such a klutz," she murmured while she sat on her bed, about to play the music box.

But, for the first time, Amelia had the most unexpected guest in her own room.

There was a knock on the door, but she didn't ask who it was, and just let whoever the person was to come in. Amelia was most surprised when it was the butler who rescued them a few hours ago. "Sebastian? Wh-what are you doing here?" Amelia quickly brought the sheets up to her chest, eyes wide at her visitor. She was well aware of how she actually looked like at the moment, but the butler didn't seem to care.

Sebastian placed a cup on her bedside table, "At least have some milk before you retire for the night." Right after that, he wound the music box himself, and the lulling music was a relaxing background music to their short conversation.

This was something new, the brunette thought.

"You didn't really... have to,"

"Ah, but the Young Master asked me to make sure you're okay, to check your _major_ injuries after your display of bravery."

He smiled at Amelia in what she believed to be mockery. Oh, and that sarcasm too. But he put an emphasis on the word "major" and that, to her, was still sarcasm.

The girl frowned, cheeks reddening a bit, again, because of embarrassment. She took a sip from the cup before replying. "You don't have to mock me you know. I've done all the necessary ways of giving myself a first aid, so please do tell Ciel that I am fine, and there is absolutely no need for him to put extra burden on his butler's shoulders." She said this, trying not to be obvious about making him go away so she could just rest and sleep.

"Ah, I didn't mock you _my_ dear." Sebastian's smile turned into a wider grin before continuing, "So if I do this…" he suddenly poked Amelia's ribs with two of his fingers, a little too hard for the said girl's liking, causing her to yelp in pain. "I thought so."

Busted.

"Well, you didn't have to do that anyway! But I'm really, really fine!" she complained, trying to rub her ribs while still holding the blanket close to her form, wincing a bit at the pain. "Would a full body massage make it feel better?" He suggested.

The housekeeper deadpanned.

' _What did he say? Massage? A_ full body _massage?_ ' she thought with a deep frown and flatly answered, " _No_."

"Aren't you supposed to be... a bit injured as well, Sebastian? Since you—alone—took on Azzuro and his men. What, did you make it out of all that trouble _unscathed_? Surely, you've got a scratch or a bruise somewhere? Sprain?"

Sebastian placed a gloved hand to his chin in thought. "I actually have none; nothing hurts,"

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just really tired and I want to sleep. Please, don't mind what Ciel had told you. I'll tell him you took care of me nicely, and did a fantastic job at making sure everything about me was alright. All this commotion because of a single order from him," she sighed and ran a hand through her curly hair.

"My wounds will heal, though it _will_ take time. Now go on, to your room, we both have lots of things to deal with when tomorrow comes."

"…Bu—"

"No buts." Amelia tried and smiled at him reassuringly, raising a finger and waved it side to side. He hesitated before sighing, turning his back on the brunette. The raven haired man hesitated, walking towards the door and then, "Good night, Amelia." before leaving her alone in the room.

"Thank you, Sebastian." she whispered at the closed door. But of course, the demon was just outside and heard her clearly, making him smirk.

Once the butler was gone, Amelia immediately finished her milk, winced as she lied down. She stared at the ceiling once again, for a long time, about had just happened.

' _Why should he even care? Well,_ sure _Ciel asked him to—obviously—but why insist on_ thoroughly _making sure I'm fine? He never does that to other servants._ '

"And besides, it's not like he really cares right? Why am I even thinking this over? All is well now, and I should go to sleep." The brunette groaned into her pillow, trying to forget all about this just for her to be able to go to sleep.

The following day, Amelia had woken early, and though her new injuries are slowing her down, it didn't really stop her from working despite the many times her cousin had insisted for her to rest. But then, she deemed it unfair for the others who don't get as much 'special treatment' from their master.

Amelia walked around the manor, making sure everything was spic and span, all the while reading the newspaper. "Ah, so he's dead? I wonder how Sebastian did it." The housekeeper tucked the newspaper in her apron and heard the aforementioned butler reprimanding the other three again.

"Guess some things really don't change?" Amelia started walking to the main door, about to answer the one who rang the doorbell. But Sebastian was a second quicker and he opened it.

"Hm? Sebas—?" he turned around, looked at Amelia straight into her eyes, and put a finger to his lips.

" _Sshh~_ "


	6. Little Miss Cute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

It has been a while since the kidnapping incident and the thoughts of Sebastian actually giving a certain housekeeper a massage _and_ caring for her own well-being lingered in Amelia's mind. Even though she tried to, it just got on her nerves and found it weird for her that she couldn't forget about it since there were but pinches of pain every now and then.

Waking up, dreaming about it again, she face-palmed. ' _Really, that's the third time already. I need a life and I need to start avoiding injuries._ ' She thought warily.

Getting out of bed, it was early in the morning and she had to give Mey-rin instructions on what the maid should do for the day. "Yet, it always ends in me doing most of it." She sighed, tying the apron around her waist that came with her uniform.

"Then again, I had to at least help the other two blonds too, who can wreck the place in a matter of seconds." She murmured to herself while walking to Ciel's room; yes, since _then_ he asked-slash-ordered Amelia to go to his room and wake him up, bring him his tea, and just share Sebastian's work with her.

Let's guess that he wanted her to work closely with Sebastian. Probably the earl senses something, especially from the butler, for example, certain reactions that Ciel only saw on occasion and _only_ when Amelia was there. But for the housekeeper, she saw this as a chance to take care and treat her cousin with most care.

Entering Ciel's room, Amelia found that Sebastian was there already, pulling on the curtains, letting in some rays into the room. Amelia bowed slightly with a small smile and Sebastian acknowledged her presence with a curt nod.

Ciel had woken up, with Amelia now dictating the day's schedule. All the while, Sebastian was getting him dressed. After doing so, Amelia poured him a cup of tea as Sebastian tied the eye patch around his master's head.

They were able to hide the Faustian contract from her, with Sebastian covering Ciel's face with his body every time the housekeeper pours tea. Or Sebastian was really just good with blind spots and angles.

"Mia, come with us then, to London." Ciel suggested.

"What about the mansion? I'm worried it might end up in a bunch of dust." She reasoned, which was in fact true. "Consider it as a half day off. Does that appeal to you?" The housekeeper fought hard not to roll her eyes at it, yet smiled.

"I guess I needed that." She chuckled. ' _Well, whatever I say I actually have no choice. He's still, but a child, and an insistent one at that. I'll just hope for the best that the mansion will survive._ '

While in London, the three of them separated. The master-butler pair went to get Ciel's new cane—which Finnian broke—to replace it, while Amelia went ahead and did a little shopping of things she needed, things she wanted, and some supplies that were low in number.

They all met by the carriage to go home; it was only a short trip. They only held small conversations every now and then, since both cousins do enjoy the silence. Amelia wasn't as social as 'normal ladies', but wasn't as a wallflower as her cousin.

Back at the mansion, as Sebastian opened the door though, he, Ciel and Amelia had the same facial expressions. Maybe, something that's of disgust and shock.

"Goodness, who and _why_ decorate the mansion in _pink_ , yellow, and in a very _feminine_ way?" Amelia exclaimed. True enough, it was a tad bit too girly for even her liking. The place was filled with flowers, ribbons, bows, and stuffed animals.

To be honest, they literally saw sparkles and glitters everywhere.

Bardroy and the others suddenly came running towards the trio by the door, from one of the rooms. The two guys were wearing girly things on their heads. They were crying, no, _wailing_ , as well. But it was a mystery for all of them, why Mey-rin wasn't _forced_ to look ridiculous.

"What in the world is this?" Sebastian asked them with shock. "Well, more like… what's with the outfit, Bard? Finny?" Amelia sweat-dropped as she asked.

Bard answered with a frown on his face, his thumb pointing back to where they came from. "Go ask that _crazy girl_!" at the mention of the phrase, 'crazy girl', Ciel already had someone in mind.

"That… crazy girl?" Ciel mused, and they went in towards the dreaded room. They sneakily opened the door and peeked, Ciel at the bottom, Amelia at the middle and Sebastian on top. From there, they could hear and see a blonde girl doing and saying random things. ' _She seemed a bit familiar though,_ ' Amelia thought, narrowing her eyes. "These ribbons are good too, but these satin roses are the cuuutest~"

Amelia frowned, disliking how the young girl had spoken yet still, finding the voice to be familiar. The crazy girl continued, "But like I thought, you, wearing _that_ , is totally adorable! You look like Antoinette!" then the trio turned to look at where she was looking.

It was poor old Tanaka wearing, no— _forced_ — to wear a blonde, curly wig and girly dress.

' _I have to admit, he really did look more adorable._ ' As they watched, the crazy girl suddenly turned to the door and saw Ciel first. Amelia heard him curse beneath her with a nice, hard, " _Shit_ ," making her eyes dart down to his direction with a smirk on her features.

When she looked up again, the feeling that coursed through her body could be likened to a lightning that struck her heart, a dagger to her chest, a heart attack—yes, was it all exaggeration?

However, to sum it up, it hurt her. Since, it was Elizabeth right then and there, that she got to see again after all these years.

' _It's my sister. She's really my sister. She's all girly, unlike me. Heck, when I was her age, Mother would've scolded me already if I did those kinds of things. All I did was all what they wanted me to do:_ To be a perfect "lady".'

She reminisced, as if the current time had stopped and everything around her froze. Sadly, she thought how much she was being controlled before. ' _I got to be more like myself only whenever I stayed here at the Phantomhive mansion, and that was without the presence of my parents._ '

Snapping her back to reality was Elizabeth's loud squealing, probably at the sight of their _little_ cousin. "Cieeel! I wanted to see youuu~!" she looked so damn happy seeing Ciel again.

"E-Elizabeth—!" Ciel was trying to breathe from the ultimately tight bear hug she locked him in. Her strength shocked Amelia, ' _Mother must have been training her lately. Of course she would, Mia, what were you thinking?_ '

Another sad thought passed her mind seeing the sight, ' _If only it was fine, and was alright for you to just recognize me and hug me like that too._ ' She smiled a sad smile, missing her sister's presence. This wasn't left unnoticed by the butler. He turned to her and murmured; "Are you alright, Mia?" she nodded.

"I just didn't think I'd miss Elizabeth even after I've tried to forget about them." The housekeeper answered, quietly, and although her voice was filled with sadness, she managed to chuckle humorlessly right after.

"No, no no! Call me Lizzie! Aren't I always saying that?" the young Midford demanded of Ciel, as she pulled away slightly to look at him. "Ah, just as I thought, no matter how many times I look at you, you're still the cuuutest!~"

"Ahem, Miss Elizabeth…" Sebastian faked a cough to catch the attention of Amelia's sister. And as if she didn't even see nor she weren't even aware that Sebastian was there, she turned to the butler with wide, surprised eyes and an innocent smile saying, "Oh! Sebastian, good day." she curtsied with an innocent smile.

The butler bowed in response; "It has been a while since I've laid eyes on you." Amelia's eyebrow furrowed at his choice of words. Since, to her, it sounded as if it came from a man who stalks young, adolescent girls. ' _Or maybe, that's just me._ ' She thought, shaking it off.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Elizabeth put a pink bonnet full of flowers adorning it. It might have looked funny on him, yet at the same time, Sebastian—knowing him—he could pull it off. The bonnet was totally his opposite colors.

"See? You're so cuuute! You're always wearing black so I thought those colors would be good." Elizabeth stated simply, as Amelia tried hard not to roll on the floor and laugh her heart out.

' _Even his facial expression's funny, I can't even—oh,_ shit.'

Sebastian glared at the brunette, and at the other three who were busy snickering at him. He looked so scary they stopped and maintained a complete poker face, then took a few steps back instead.

"Regard for the things I wear, that sort of regard for me… it is an honor." The raven-haired butler stated with his fake smile, obviously. But Elizabeth didn't even notice it and said, "Oh no, it's fine."

Bardroy whispered to Sebastian a little too loud for Amelia to hear, "Who exactly is that girl?" and the butler answered with a straight face, "Lady Elizabeth is the Young Master's fiancée."

Even Amelia's eyes widened. Looking back at both her sister and cousin. ' _Since when did that happen? And why didn't Ciel tell me about this?!_ ' she thought, and added. ' _Elizabeth still hasn't noticed me, how thoughtful._ ' She remarked sarcastically.

Then Sebastian went on explaining to the other three why she's the fiancée and all. "That's how it was, huh? I never knew, really. Or maybe I just forgot?" Amelia blurted aloud, not realizing this and earning a raised brow from Sebastian.

"Ah, yes since it has been a while, but I thought they were engaged ever since." He told the brunette making her blink. Amelia thought of something, "I left when they were eight or nine. Ah, maybe I really _did_ forget that important part." she nodded to herself, shrugging as she did.

Then they turned to look at Ciel being dragged away to the ballroom by Elizabeth. "You know what, if I did that before in the presence of our Mother, I wouldn't know how much scolding I'd receive."

The butler looked at her with a raised brow. "But since this _is_ the Phantomhive mansion, even if it's unladylike, no one would bother. We're children and we should be free to do what we want. Plus, Elizabeth looks unstoppable."

Sebastian hummed, "In short, what you're trying to say is that whenever you were here, you had a sense of 'freedom'. Is that correct?" Amelia grinned and nodded. "This place is my second home, and I am most glad to be back."

Anyway, Elizabeth had said something like, "Since it took a lot of work to make the ballroom like this, let's have a dance party today! I'll dance with you—my fiancé—as an escort!" she exclaimed happily and giggled.

Amelia began wondering if Elizabeth co-owned the Phantomhive mansion. But, hearing about the dance party made her suddenly feel exhausted. ' _Guess who's going to work overtime._ '

The noisy girl kept blurting the word 'cute' that it sounded weird to Amelia already. She mentally face-palmed but she— _they, the servants—had no choice but to go through this._

__

"Listen to what people are saying!" Ciel finally scolded her. "I'd have to dress the cutest too! Everything here should be cuuu—?" she paused as she finally saw Amelia, whose eye was twitching from the young lady's high-pitched voice.

__

She fell silent and tilted her head to the side, her index finger tapping her chin, "Who… are you?" for once, in that whole day, Elizabeth sounded serious.

__

Amelia tried to smile, "Lady Elizabeth, my name is Mia. I am the new housekeeper. Nice to meet you, my lady."

__

The blonde girl blinked for a while and continued to look at the brunette lady. Ciel and Sebastian had the same look of something like anxiety. Or maybe, they were anticipating something. "Is something the matter, Lady Elizabeth?" Amelia asked.

__

Hesitating, she shook her head in response. "N-nothing, you just seem to… remind me of someone I dearly love. Oh don't worry Ciel, it's not another boy!" Elizabeth said the last line jokingly, changing the topic in the process.

__

"Ah, pardon me for asking but… is she a friend of yours my lady?" Amelia asked, trying to make sure that it was _her_ whom Elizabeth remembers. The girl frowned a bit, "No, she was more than that actually. She was my _sister_."

__

Then a wave of silence followed. Ciel and Sebastian had their serious faces on and frankly; Amelia here didn't know what she was exactly feeling.

__

' _I miss you too Elizabeth._ ' She thought sadly. Sensing the awkwardness, Elizabeth suddenly beamed, "Ah, anyway, I shall make you cute too, Mia!" Her eyes widened but the brunette quickly regained her composure. Even if she did want to have _nothing to do with being 'cute', it's just as she said:_

____

Elizabeth is unstoppable… probably for now.

____

The blonde girl turned to grab Ciel's hands. "Wear the clothes I picked for you Ciel! I think it'll definitely be cute!"

____

"Hey, who said it was fine—!?"

____

"Dancing with Ciel in the clothes I picked for him, it's like a dream! I will dress stylishly with all my might too!"

____

"Elizabeth! Listen to what people are saying!"

____

Amelia sighed, seeming to imagine them as a cat-and-dog kind of couple. ' _Maybe, I just don't see their chemistry yet. I do wonder when they would get along,_ ' She braced herself especially her heart, for the upcoming events.

____


	7. Dancing Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

Amelia didn't know how but Elizabeth just managed to push her towards one of the mansion's many rooms, all the while, carrying a medium sized bag with her. It was a good thing that her room was much farther away, or else, the truth would've been exposed too early. What, with her music box on display and all that.

Opening the said bag, Elizabeth brought out four dresses—golden yellow, blue, pink and a green one—not being able to choose between them and laid it on the room's bed for the housekeeper to see. "Um, L-Lady Elizabeth? What are those for?" Amelia asked, hoping the dresses aren't what she thought was for.

True, she was impressed with Elizabeth's strength, but that still wasn't enough of a reason for her to stop worrying about her sister's schemes.

"Pick one!" Elizabeth didn't roll her eyes at the brunette's stupid question, and instead she beamed and grinned.

"Wh-why?" Amelia stalled, causing her sister to now roll her big eyes.

Amelia frowned upon this slightly, her elder sister instincts kicking in. "I said just pick which one you'd like to wear during _the dance party_! I can't make up my mind; they all seem to look good on you. So, the decision is yours to make, understand?"

Normally she would have—might have—felt _flattered_ , but as for now it was a no.

Amelia tried to protest, remembering the blue and black dress that Sebastian had given her on her first day. Right, she could just wear that again.

"But, I don't need this, I have a dress, Lady Eli—!" but the lady cut her off, " _No_ , you're going to wear one of those and you get to keep whichever ones you like! That's an order." And she giggled.

The brunette hesitated before giving the dresses a second look. At first, she expected that the dresses would actually be _ridiculous_ , but she was surprised to see at how passable and quite fashionable the dresses were.

Amelia decided not to wear the blue one, since she saw what Elizabeth had picked out for Ciel was blue.

She didn't really like pink as much, it was fine, but it's really not her color. Plus, Elizabeth was wearing a beautiful shade of red and pink, so that color was off the list.

Oh, how relieved she felt.

Amelia was left with the olive green one and the golden yellow gown. The both of them had ruffled skirts, especially the golden yellow gown—heavily ruffled—but then, she didn't want to seem to stand out. She decided and chose the off-shoulder green one, with short sleeves, a bit of a low neckline, and a cascading ruffle skirt.

The brunette picked it up, and Elizabeth hummed, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "Oh, alright, that will surely bring out your eyes!"

Shockingly, Elizabeth began undressing the housekeeper. Amelia's face began to have a few shades of pink. "L-Lady Elizabeth! I-I can manage! Please, this is—!" she caught the young Midford's hands and looked at her straight in the eye.

The little girl paused then smiled a sad smile before Amelia realized she was gripping on her hands, and had to let go. Elizabeth sat on the bed facing the door, while the brunette continued to undress, her back facing her sister. "Mia, you really look like my sister who passed away a few years ago."

The words _passed away_ caused a stinging feeling in the other girl's heart. She fought hard to say anything suspicious and kept quiet, thinking it be best for everybody's sake and her own sake.

"Eyes, voice, even your _name_ ; except the hair. I think that's the only different thing separating you from my sister Thea. My sister's blonde like me… only she's _prettier_. I've always wanted to be like her, you know." Elizabeth proclaimed proudly.

Amelia shook her head internally; none of her siblings really knew that she was only wearing a wig. Only her parents knew about it. She could only sigh, "Well, I guess you found your sister's doppelganger, my lady."

They chuckled together as the housekeeper finished putting on the dress. She spun around once, looking at her own reflection in the full body mirror. She noticed she looked sort of thinner than before. Elizabeth began to speak once more. "You're the second best doppelganger Thea has. She used to have her personal maid, who looked exactly like her; though she disappeared the same night Thea... _died_ ,"

"Ah, I see..."

Elizabeth gasped as she looked up, her emerald eyes sparkling in delight—traces of melancholy gone—as she began scrutinizing the brunette. "Oh my, Mia! You look fantastic! It suits you perfectly!" she clapped her gloved hands together. Amelia could only give off a sheepish smile at being complimented.

"However,"

Amelia's eyes met with Elizabeth's figure, which was now skipping towards her. "Your hair; how about doing something about it? And no, those boots aren't fitting for such a very cute dress."

"I think my shoes are fine like this already, my lady. After all, you've already gone to this extent just to make me look pleasing to your eyes with this adorable dress."

"Oh come on, you're being like Sebastian." The housekeeper stiffened at her statement, hoping she didn't notice the small widening of her own eyes. "I-Is that so, my lady?" Elizabeth nodded while Amelia proceeded to the vanity, fixing and styling her hair in a way her sister would find _cute_.

So, Amelia let her hair down that reached only the middle of her back, then put it into a much more appropriate updo that would match the dress.

"Ah, I almost forgot about this," Elizabeth handed her a hair accessory to finish the look, which came together with the dress.

Amelia stood up and faced Elizabeth squealed. "You're all cute now! No, you're beautiful!"

The dolled-up housekeeper curtsied. "Your praises aren't worth of someone like me."

"Don't say that; keep the dresses alright? So the next time I visit, you wouldn't need to wear the same thing over and over~!"

' _There… would be a_ next _time?_ '

Elizabeth complimented the housekeeper a few times before she even got to leave the room, and the servant thanked her for it. Amelia needed to see Ciel, and it was almost time for his snacks and all; also, she still had to carry all the remaining three dresses to her room. In all honesty, she didn't want nor didn't see the need to keep them, but if the young lady says so, that there was going to be a next time, it was a wise decision to follow her words.

Deciding not to remove the dress, since it would just take up enough time and it's sure that Elizabeth would stop her from doing so, Amelia shamefully went to her cousin's study after getting the dresses in her wardrobe.

' _Damn. It. All._ ' She thought, knocking twice before she was allowed to enter. Amelia waited but there was no answer. So, she put her ear to the door and tried to listen in, thinking that Ciel was taking too long to respond.

"…However, today would be more profitable to obey her and follow her wishes, yes?" it was the voice of the butler. Amelia raised an eyebrow, ' _More profitable huh?_ '

She heard a round of murmurs then strained her ears to hear much clearly, "I don't have time to associate with little girls and their hobbies." Taken aback by what Ciel had said, Amelia remembered that her sister was taller than her cousin, so how was Elizabeth 'little'?

And for him to call her as just a little girl was rude for Amelia. Let's say her sister complex kicked in. And she knew that Elizabeth was able to protect herself.

Because she's been there too.

Being a Midford was no joke. It also has a similar pressure of being a Phantomhive. They're _knights_ , and they protect people from the poorest of the poor the grandest of royalty!

Impatient already, she knocked harder on the door, her ear still on it and believe it or not, to Amelia, it seemed that her action shocked the two males—uh, maybe just one young male—inside for a bit. So Ciel let her in and she kind of stomped her way through the door.

"Oh, I thought you didn't have some snacks so I brought some… What? What are the two of you looking at?" Forgetting she was still wearing the green dress, it took her awhile to realize it as she pushed the snack-filled tray.

"Do not even laugh. _Please_. Just don't." she suddenly said with an audible groan. "Did she put that on you?" Amelia nodded as an answer to her cousin, while still looking down. She felt her cheeks heat up when Sebastian's snicker was heard.

"I must say, Lady Elizabeth _does_ have a good taste for dresses. This one brings out your eyes." Sebastian stared at her for a moment, and their eyes met. She saw the butler smirk at her briefly, and she blinked, and it was gone from his face.

"Well, thank you I guess," she shrugged it off, thinking it was just her imagination. "Anyway, do tell me, what differences there are between a little _boy's_ and a little _girl's_ hobbies." Amelia stared at Ciel as he raised a brow.

"You sneaky woman." Amelia smirked, happy to have a comeback.

"I've got to admit, I _am_ a little sneaky. But, do not speak of Elizabeth like that when you know I'm around. She is, after all, more than just your cousin." She paused, "Though she's become more annoying than before."

"Tell me about it."

The housekeeper chuckled. Sebastian cut the small talk saying, "Back to the problem at hand, Young Master, you still haven't finished the current game." Ciel sipped his tea as Sebastian continued. "However, it appears that Lady Elizabeth wishes to hold a dance,"

The little earl put his teacup down and turned his chair around. Amelia suddenly grinned, already sensing something. Sebastian sighed, "I do not have proof but is it true that you do not have dancing instruction?"

Ciel crumpled a few papers, the scrunching of it heard by both servants. "It's no wonder, if you were invited to a party you would be a _wallflower_." Amelia's grin turned into a chuckle.

"Such a shame on _this_ Phantomhive earl."

She teased him, taking a step closer to his desk and handed Sebastian the young boy's slice of cake. "Shut up, Mia. I'm busy with work. I don't have time to busy myself with childish _games_ …"

Sebastian spun Ciel's chair so he could face them, holding the plate on his other hand. "I'll take your word for it, but Young Master, it's often said that a dance is a 'social' thing."

"At evening and dinner parties and the like, good grooming's a must, Ciel. If you become an elite gentleman, dancing is as easy as '123ABC'." Amelia added. Now that you look at them, Sebastian's face is pretty close to Ciel's, the cake being their only barrier.

"Mia is correct, Young Master. And, if you were to refuse an invitation from a customer's daughter, in high society, your reputation will go down the gutter." He concluded.

Ciel tossed the papers on his desk and tilted his head to the side, inching away from Sebastian. "I get it already! It's fine like this. Who would call for a home tutor?"

The butler clicked open his pocket watch and said, "From now on, there won't be any time to call for a tutor. Since just demeanor and pose are sufficient, you will master the basics in one song."

"Then who will teach me? No matter how you look at the people of this house…" Ciel's face looked annoyed. Sebastian closed the pocket watch with his fake, close-eyed smile, "Please don't worry. Though you are being insolent, _I_ will be your dance tutor."

"You idiot! Do you think I'd dance with a big male partner like you?" Ciel gripped on his fork. Amelia frowned at his stubbornness and the fact that she was being sort of left out. ' _Did he forget about me already?_ '

Clearing her throat to catch their attention, she spoke, "Uhm, hello? I'm here too. I _obviously_ know how to dance. I can _obviously_ be your other partner."

Sebastian raised his eyebrow at her. "Ah, but your dancing skills might be rusty since you've been lacking 'experience'."

"Just so you know, dancing is also a talent of mine. It is not just a mere _skill_. Fine, let's put it this way. You can teach him since what you're trying to say is that you're _better_ at it and then he will dance with me and I'll judge, if it's enjoyable enough to a lady. Is that understood?" They stared each other down for a few seconds.

"Very well then." The butler said, finally.

"Do you even know how to dance the waltz?" Ciel asked the tall man. Amelia nodded while Sebastian spoke, "If it's the Wiener Waltz, then please leave it to me. I often cause quite a commotion at the Schönbrunn Palace."

Amelia's mouth hung agape, "You've been to Schönbrunn Palace?"

Sebastian said a quick follow-up, "Before I worked for the Young Master, I used to work in Austria." Amelia raised a brow and shrugged, convinced at his statement.

"Won't you be my partner for one song, My Lord?" Sebastian said, offering his hand and moving on to a more important topic. The housekeeper faked a cough, catching their attention.

"You mean, _our_ partner, Sebastian."

"Why, of course."

It has been a few minutes after that, Amelia already asked the other three servants to relax and all the while, she prepared the other things. By the way, she removed the dress since it was pretty difficult walking around wearing something like _that_. She just had to make sure Elizabeth was distracted so she wouldn't have to go back and forth to wearing and not wearing the dress.

When done with the party preparations, Amelia trotted back to the study. ' _Imagining Ciel and Sebastian dancing waltz really is a sight to see._ ' She entered the room, with them not noticing her again. As expected, they kept… wobbling.

Sebastian sighed, disappointed, "It seems your talent for dancing is non-existent. It must be crushing, Young Master."

Hearing his comment, Amelia snickered, "I pity my sister. She's going to marry someone who can't even dance with her."

"He's too big! What would I be doing with a woman like that?!" the young earl retorted. The newly-entered person walked around the room to get a better view of what they were doing.

"It is said that ' _Dance begins with the Waltz and ends with the Waltz_ '. You can't dance with high social status ungracefully." She stated as she stood in front of them.

"In any case, please do something about that sour look." Sebastian then pinched Ciel's cheeks. "He's right. It's kind of rude to us; I mean you know, to ladies. It tells us you're not having fun and all." The girl added.

"Alright, smile happily!" Sebastian insisted while Ciel tries to get free from his hold. He slapped Sebastian's hand away, "Let go!" Sebastian took a small step back.

Ciel held his other hand, staring at the ring on his thumb. "Somehow I've, smiling—to smile happily—I've forgotten." His statement made his cousin frown.

"Ciel…"

"Young Master…"

* * *

By this time, everyone was wearing the things Elizabeth had forced them to. Well, except Mey-rin and Sebastian. Amelia took pity to the other three males. But then she thought Tanaka was just so adorable.

"Cieeel! You're so cute! My eyes weren't wrong!" Elizabeth said as she kept spinning Ciel around. "Look, look! Everyone else is cute too! But Mia is pretty. I've let them come to the party!"

She took his hand and saw something kind of disgusting for her perhaps, something that doesn't fit in. Her face became stern, "Ciel, where's the ring I prepared for you? There was a ring that matched the Western style clothing wasn't there?" Ciel sweat-dropped. "Huh? Ring? This ring is fine." He said pulling his hand away from her grasp.

Elizabeth grumbled then suddenly 'exploded'. " _No_! I went to a lot of trouble to make everything adorable!"

Amelia rolled her eyes at Elizabeth's statement, disliking her spoiled attitude. ' _Yeah right. More like, a-dork-able._ '

"Only the ring is totally not cute!"

If it weren't for Amelia trying to conceal her identity, she would've sided with Ciel. Because for her, the Phantomhive family heirloom is one of the most fantastic things she's ever seen.

Elizabeth then started to shed crocodile tears. Waiting for an opportunity, in a blink of an eye, she grabbed the ring from Ciel's thumb.

"Give it back!"

Ciel exclaimed, making everyone go silent. This was the first time they saw their young master in such anger that the stooges even froze in their spot. Amelia moved closer to Elizabeth, since she feels like something's going to happen, with this awkward silence.

The teal-haired boy looked grumpy, raising his arms at shoulder level, "Give that back, Elizabeth." He spat. The said girl felt shocked and scared, stammering as she said, "Wh-why are you being mad like that? I worked so hard…" she clenched her fists as tears—real tears—started to roll on her cheeks.

' _Even if what you consider as "hard work" isn't really that, I want to wipe those tears away sister. Sadly, in my current position, I can't—no—shouldn't._ '

"I just made you cute! So why are you being mad like that?!" the fiancé got mad as well. Amelia attempted to stop them both, "C-Calm down, Lady Eliza—!"

But the young one raised her hand up ignoring the housekeeper, holding the ring and then, "This ring, I _hate_ it!" she then threw it on the ground, shattering the once beautiful ring into small pieces.

Devastated at the sight of his heirloom being shattered, Ciel raised his arm and was about to slap Elizabeth. Quickly, Amelia hugged her sister, so that Ciel's hand would be meeting her back and not Elizabeth's face. The brunette waited for an impact but all she heard was Sebastian's cold voice.

"Young Master." Ciel's panting answered him.

"Young Master, you've forgotten your long-awaited cane." Sebastian continued, and then Amelia let go of Elizabeth, and then wiped a few tears off her face. "Ah, I'm sorry Lady Elizabeth. You know you shouldn't cry over small things like these." She murmured so only the blonde could hear.

Amelia paused then leaned in to whisper, "The Young Master cannot dance with a girl so sad." She rubbed her back, since she was hiccuping. The butler turned to the younger sister, "You have my deepest apologies Miss Elizabeth. That ring is very important to our Master. It has been passed down through the Phantomhive family for generations. There was only one in the world."

The elder one frowned slightly, thinking it had made Elizabeth's crying worse. Ciel walked towards the shattered ring and picked the shards up. He opened a window and threw it away. Just like that, obviously trying to act mature for their sake.

"I don't care about that ring. It's just an old ring. This ring is proof that the head of the Phantomhive house is ' _Ciel Phantomhive_ '."

Amelia stepped back to give way to Ciel as he went to Elizabeth, wiping off the tears that continued to flow down. "And _you_ call yourself a lady. I wouldn't want to invite a lady with a face like that to a dance, would I?" for once, he seemed to care and be sincere.

Who knows, right?

And so, after that, they both started dancing. Realizing that Ciel had learned a lot from Sebastian, Amelia's eyes roamed around to look for the said butler.

Until a violin resounded throughout the place, she smiled.

' _Was there a thing he couldn't do? He seemed too_ perfect _to be just a butler_.' She thought while watching him play; then remembered the same thing Azzuro had said.

Sighing, Amelia wasn't in any mood to dance, and when she was bored, her eyes roamed around then fell on the grand piano. She grinned and decided that she had the freedom, and went towards the instrument to start playing.

Amelia felt happy, missing the feel of the black and white keys on her slender fingertips. It's a good thing that this night turned out to be nice.

Hours passed, and the party soon ended.

After cleaning up and making sure that Elizabeth's sleeping sound, Amelia went straight to Ciel's room, free of the dress and was now wearing her housekeeper uniform.

As she opened the door, she heard Sebastian saying, "Who's an idiot?" hearing that made her raise a brow walking in the room.

"Ciel is." She suddenly answered, catching their attention. The said boy glared at his cousin and wanted to answer back, but was too tired to do so. The housekeeper just stood there, watching them since that's what happens every time, even if she was completely exhausted.

Sebastian knelt down and put something on Ciel's thumb./

' _No way! Could it be?_ ' Amelia anticipated with that thought.

But it was real, that Sebastian had put on the once shattered ring on Ciel's thumb. "H-How did you—!?"

Sebastian cut off Amelia's question, "I am Phantomhive's butler. What would I do if I couldn't accomplish something like this?"

After that, Ciel went on to the " _importance_ " of the ring, saying things like the deaths of its predecessor and soon the ring will witness his death as well.

Ciel removed his eye patch, with his eye opened.

Usually, when Sebastian puts the eye patch on Ciel's eye, it was closed, which led to Amelia deducing that due to the fire, he got blind.

But this time, it surprised her that it wasn't as she thought it was.

Although she couldn't see his eye clearly, since there are factors such as Sebastian blocking her view, Ciel's hair was covering his eye slightly and the room being poorly lit; she was now aware that Ciel was hiding something from her.

Amelia suppressed a yawn since it would be another reason to get a scolding from Sebastian, so tears had welled up in her eyes. It reminded her that she was real done for the day, so she shook off the thought for the meantime. "Oh, the moon is already high Young Master. It's not good for you. Please rest now." The butler finally said, tucking Ciel into his bed.

"Sebastian… Mia… You two stay there until I fall asleep."

The brunette smiled sadly then took a step closer to his bed and stood there, right beside the butler of course. "No matter where you are, I will always be by your side Young Master. Until, your death." Sebastian said with a sly smile.

Amelia thought of humming something to lull the earl to sleep, so she sang the melody of the music box.

Ciel and Sebastian both listened to her until Ciel was fast asleep. Sebastian had ordered the housekeeper to go back to her own room. He thanked her for the help and all that with Amelia bidding him good night and told him to rest as well.

Upon arriving to her room, the brunette rolled on the bed a few times; thinking of how much Ciel is going through, and that someday, she'll have to mention and ask about it. Tonight, her music box was left open, and she didn't have the energy to wind it up.

She sighed sadly, "Such a young kid to face all these pressures of being an adult." Her eyes closed and soon, found herself in dreamland.

At the time, Sebastian was walking down one of the mansion's many hallways, holding a candelabrum in his hand.

He chuckled, low and deep, thinking of how delicious Ciel Phantomhive's soul would be. "Now then, I must prepare for tomorrow," he said to nothing and no one in particular.

But of course, before he began doing so, he made his way to a certain lady's room. ' _As the days pass by, I always find myself going to her room at night after making sure that the Young Master is fast asleep. It's hard not to…_ '

Sebastian remained outside, just before the door and closed his eyes, reminiscing the day's events. ' _Seeing her for a number of hours wearing such a_ thing _… to say it was_ pleasing _would be an understatement,_ ' the demon shivered as images of Amelia flooded his mind.

From the way the dress had exposed her neck, down to her collarbone, and the way her hair was up, for him to smell her strong scent even from the top of the staircase.

Then he could see the way her slender fingers danced over the keys of the piano, and actually heard it as he looked back, and her voice as she put his master to sleep.

' _Ah yes, her voice, for sure one day that voice of hers would_ scream _for me, would scream my name,_ '

Amelia was the perfect prey. And Sebastian was the handsome, dangerous predator.

' _Tempting… delicious…_ '

Sebastian found himself struggling once again, doing his best to not completely ravish the vulnerable lady in her room. "You're lucky I can't devour you now, Amelia."

He smirked, still with his eyes closed and began to murmur, exposing his fangs a bit. "To think that I would want to mark you as my next dinner," he paused and chuckled once again.

"I wonder how _you_ managed to drive me crazy."

He blew out the candles and his heels clacked as he walked away into the darkness of the night. His form blended in completely, and he opened his eyes.

They were glowing.


	8. To the Undertaker!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Young Master, these are the letters we received today." Sebastian said as he dropped a big pile of letters and invitations on his master's desk. The said young master sighed, looking fed up, disgusted and bored.

"Well, it _is_ the social season again. They spend the whole day and a lot of money on useless, meaningless and boring balls; courting, and dancing. I don't get why they don't ever get tired of doing the same thing over and over." Bluntly, Amelia stated—no—ranted, seeming to be very negative about it.

"London's lifestyle is so dull." Sebastian added, which they all kind of agreed to. Ciel started tossing away letters not really important for him and dictated the senders, "The Earl of Warwick, the Baron of Bath, the Countess of Cardolan…" Amelia picked up the letters on the floor as Sebastian jotted down those names in the 'Rejected List'.

Then after Ciel stated names in a very monotonous tone, of some nobles that Amelia could somehow recognize, Ciel stopped upon seeing a _certain_ letter.

Thus, they were now off to go see and stay in London for the duration of another special case.

Sebastian opened the carriage door, "Young Master, it has been a while since you last went out, is it not?" the question was left unanswered for a moment when both cousins got out of the carriage and now stood in front of the Phantomhive townhouse.

"Ah, I've been to this place a few times before, same reason, because of London's _'dull lifestyle'_." Amelia mentioned and made air quotations to put emphasis on the last two words then chuckled.

"I couldn't care less as to who sent that letter. I hate going to crowded places. But I guess it's different for you Mia." Ciel said as they walked towards the door.

"I used to like crowds and places, since I got used to it. But ever since I ran away from home, I believed that there's more to life than dancing, dresses and make-up." She shrugged as she finished.

"But maybe being away from the mansion is okay too, for a change. Isn't it much more peaceful without those four by your side?" she chuckled. But then again, it wasn't only her who was afraid that they might not be able to come home to a mansion.

Sebastian opened a door and then a certain someone's voice was heard.

"I can't find them either." Said a man, Chinese at that, as he looked inside a jar. "My goodness, where do they put the tea leaves in this house?" said a woman clad in red; well everything about her was red. She was standing next to a cabinet, looking for the said tea leaves.

Seeing her, Amelia thought about it and realized it was her aunt. She gasped and unconsciously muttered, "Madame Red…!"

Amelia looked at Ciel and Sebastian, who seemed to be annoyed and surprised at the same time.

"Madame Red!? Lau!? Why are you here!?" Ciel shouted in anger, since the two people didn't seem to notice their presence. "Ah, he arrived so suddenly." The redhead stated simply. The trio also just noticed that there was another man with the two noble intruders, having long black hair bound by a huge red ribbon.

' _Must be her butler…_ ' the housekeeper thought.

"Oh, hey Earl. I've heard that many interesting things happen here." Lau said. "Since my cute little nephew is in London, how could I not visit you while I'm here?" Madame Red reasoned after him.

Smiling, the brunette thought in her head, ' _Aw, but your niece is here too. Only she has grown and is currently working for her cousin. But sadly, you also won't recognize me._ '

"We had no idea guests were coming. I apologize for not accommodating you earlier. We'll go prepare tea for you immediately." the butler cut in before anything else could be said.

Following behind Sebastian, Amelia heard Ciel mumble something like, "Of the people I didn't want to see, all of them came." she stifled a laugh, thinking he was really _that_ much of an anti-social.

It was around ten-thirty when tea was finally served. "Today's tea is Jackson's 'Earl Grey'." Sebastian said as he put down the food and all the other snacks. "It's the same kind of tea and yet the way you make it makes such a difference~" Madame Red commented.

"Grell, you should follow his example!" the said butler agreed shyly. He was a bespectacled man, and didn't have the aura likened to a butler, seeing how he's not as confident as the demon one Ciel has.

"Anyways, no matter what, every time I see you, you're still so _handsome_. Why don't you simply quit working for Ciel and come serve me?" The Madame was rubbing Sebastian's _buttocks_.

Ciel's and Amelia's eyes widened at this. The latter wanted to roll on the floor right then and there so that she could laugh to her heart's content. Seeing a perfect butler flinching from the sudden attack was a rare sight to see, indeed. But instead, she just snickered.

Ciel faked a cough, catching his aunt's attention. "Ah, I'm sorry." She didn't look or sound sorry at all. Then, her eyes caught Amelia's and she blinked.

"And who might you be, young lady?"

"Pardon me for the late introduction. My name is Mia, the recently hired Phantomhive housekeeper." She bowed after saying so. Madame Red nodded and narrowed her eyes slightly, "Have we met before? You look… familiar."

The girl shook her head, lying. She wondered how she's getting better and getting used to doing it.

"Ah, I thought so. But you really look like someone."

Once again, Ciel faked a cough and had to drink tea because he wasn't actually sick. "Let's talk seriously now. I've heard the case about prostitutes being murdered on the streets lately."

Amelia frowned, ' _So that's _the reason why we had to go to London. What a Queen, having a child to deal with such cases? Then again, this is what Phantomhives do._ '_

__

"You mean, what's on the news nonstop lately? I know of it." Madame Red said. "However, what are you planning?" added Lau, placing his teacup on its saucer. Ciel rubs a thumb on his cup and replies with a stern voice. "This isn't just some ordinary case. The killer's ways are very special—no—I should say abnormal. That's why _She_ is so concerned about it."

__

"The murdered prostitute was named Mary Ann Nichols. The wounds looked like they were from some kind of sharp tool, using quick cuts which leads to a much painful death." Sebastian had added.

__

"Ah, you mean _'Jack the Ripper'_." Amelia assumed and she received nodding heads to confirm her statement.

__

"I just wanted to know the circumstances sooner, so I rushed to London too." Ciel replied, after sipping his tea and taking a bite from his cake. "The Queen's Watchdogs have already been dispatched. But I'm not interested. However…" Lau pauses and leans in slightly, trying to build tension around him.

__

"Do you have the guts to go to the crime scene?" he continued, trying to scare the young lad.

__

"…What do you mean?"

__

Lau tilted his head, smiling all the time and never opening his eyes.

__

"I smelled a wild beast at the crime scene. This murderer is definitely an _abnormal madman_." He stands and slowly made his way towards Ciel, the others around him waiting for what else he has to say. Amelia's sister instinct slightly kicked in and made her inch closer to her cousin's seat.

__

"Will you… be afraid? Earl of Phantomhive," Lau by now, reached out to touch the said earl's precious face. Meanwhile, Sebastian only looked at his master, quite stern, also as if expecting a certain reaction from him.

__

"I came because I was worried about my fiancée. I don't have to answer your pointless questions."

__

Lau stood straight, removing his hand on Ciel's face. "Not bad. That look in your eyes is good." Amelia smirked quite a bit, feeling proud of her young cousin, though still, she worries for him.

__

Unexpectedly, Lau grabbed Ciel's hand, suddenly looking happy as if nothing he had said was something to be taken with seriousness, "Then come, take a stroll with me!"

__

Amelia's eyes went wide in surprise, and controlled her self to not gawk at the Chinese man for too long, since she was a servant and that would be utterly disrespectful.

__

"Wait a minute! Seriously! I rarely ever get the chance to have some afternoon tea with the Earl, but I can't even enjoy it in _peace_? I want to go too! Lau, where is this crime scene?" Madame Red demanded with Grell trying to calm her down.

__

"Don't you _know_ , Madame?"

__

There was a brief pause.

__

"Well, don't ask me. _I don't know the way either_."

__

The master-butler duo seemed annoyed yet the housekeeper's shocked face turned to look amused, finding the two other nobles somehow, comical.

__

Madame Red replied, yelling, "You talk so arrogantly, yet you don't even know where it is!?"

__

Ciel began grumbling. " _Calm down_ , I know there has to be at least one person that's been to the crime scene."

__

"It's bothersome to meddle in this case, but I can find someone who specializes in these types of things." He continued and the three nobles and three servants were now in a carriage, and off to some place that the majority of them don't really know.

__

"So… what is this place?" Lau said while Madame Red questioned her butler Grell. "Why are _you_ familiar with this kind of place?!" the questioned butler raised his hands in a surrendering kind of way.

__

Well, _'Undertaker'_ was written on the signboard. The outside looked old and creepy, with coffins, skulls and basically, the place smelled of death; it was the 'death shop' starter pack. The brunette never thought Ciel would know someone like an Undertaker.

__

They entered the said 'shop' with Ciel going in first and Amelia going in last. "Are you there, Undertaker?" the Phantomhive earl stated as the others looked around the place. It has this kind of eerie feeling that sends shivers down one's spine.

__

Then, a weird cackle filled the place.

__

" _ **Hi-hi-hi~… I knew that you would come~…**_ " then a creaking noise followed and there he was.

__

The Undertaker: a man with long gray hair, a scar across his face and his bangs too long for everyone to see his eyes; he was coming out from inside one of his many coffins.

__

" _ **Welcome, Earl~ Do you want to see how it feels like to sleep in my custom-made coffin?~**_ " he stepped out and the other three—Lau, Madame Red and Grell—all had their jaws down. Especially Grell, though it was a bit exaggerated that he literally fell on his butt.

__

And Ciel maintained his cool saying, "I didn't come here to play today," the other man gently touched Ciel's face with his extremely long black nails, stroking the kid's skin before saying, " _ **You don't need to tell me~ I know why you came~ With just one look, I can tell what's on your mind~**_ "

__

"You know something?" Ciel asked.

__

" _ **Please take a seat first~ I'll go make tea~**_ "

__

There weren't any seats inside the shop so they all resorted to sitting on top the coffins. A few minutes later he returned with beakers filled with 'tea' and a jar with dog treats.

__

" _ **You wanted to know about Jack the Ripper?~ Everyone's been scared because of the disturbance~ But this isn't the first time I've handled this kind of thing~**_ "

__

"So there was something like this, even before?" Amelia mumbled a little too loudly, causing Undertaker to look at her direction.

__

" _ **My, my~ you have another interesting pet young earl~ Hi-hi-hi~**_ " he walked towards her.

__

" _ **What's your name?~**_ " she answered of course, as his long nails caressed her face as well and his other hand patting her head.

__

Sebastian cleared his throat, "You were saying, Undertaker?" the said creepy man looked at him with a knowing smirk while the butler just glared at him. Undertaker then went to grab a cookie and started munching on it.

__

" _ **It's happened before~ a case where prostitutes were killed~** _ " he offered some cookies to Ciel in which the latter refused. " _ **In fact, the way they were killed was very similar too~ All the murdered prostitutes had something in common~**_ " now this finally caught their attention.

__

"Something in common?"

__

Undertaker hugged the jar and closed it. " _ **Well~ Now I wonder what it is indeed~ is it bothering you?~**_ "

__

Lau spoke, "I see, so that's how it is. How much money do you want for this information?" he asked Undertaker in which the said guy vigorously answered back.

__

" _ **How much**_ **money?! I don't want any of the Queen's money!** "

__

His head spun around and his eyes—even if they didn't see it—implied that it fell on Ciel. " _ **Now then, Earl~ I have one requirement~**_ " he then started cackling… and drooling.

__

" _ **Show me a 'first rate laugh'~ If you do, no matter what you want to know I'll tell you!~**_ "

__

"What a… crazy man." Amelia managed to say, not even caring even if he heard her.

__

Ciel couldn't deny it either since he followed up one word to completely describe him, " _Weirdo_."

__


	9. First Rate Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"If that's the case, then let me handle this!" Lau proclaimed proudly before stepping up, raising his arm. "The Sleeping Tiger of the Shanghai New Year's Party also referred to as: _my soul_. This should satisfy you!"

The rest of them waited, as Lau continued to do his pose. "Do you like it?"

They deadpanned, disappointed at how utterly useless that was. "It looks like he still won't talk, Lau… it can't be helped." Madame Red spoke up, taking a step forward, having something in mind.

"Then I, Madame Red, a _beauty_ of high society shall make my appearance now! If I ask him, he'll be _sure_ to tell us." She proclaimed proudly with her 'number one fan' Grell, looking like he's swooning over her.

Amelia nudged her cousin's shoulder and whispered. "I never knew our Aunt was this…" she paused, looking for a right term. "Weird?" the latter suggested. She nodded her head slightly in agreement. "Probably, I guess? And kind of crazy."

The middle-aged woman cleared her throat and began saying her _joke_.

"So… because ********* turns in to have _*******_! Then, ******** will also want to have _*******_!"

Amelia quickly tuned her out and covered Ciel's ears, worried for him to hear inappropriate words at such a young age. His tragic past is not an excuse for it.

"But ********** said, she must tell her mother about it, so it led ********* not wanting to try _*******_!" Madame Red still continued telling them her gossip and it was only until later, when someone had initiated to cover both her and Lau's mouths with tape.

About an hour has passed since then, and the creepy man looked at the young earl once again. " ** _You're the only one left, Earl~_** " Undertaker said, intertwining his fingers. " ** _I've helped you many times in the past~ Can't you be nice to me just this once?~_** "

He paused and turned his head sharply to look at the brunette housekeeper. " ** _If not_** **you,** ** _then perhaps…~_** " he stepped towards Amelia and caressed her soft hair that was bundled in a braid.

" ** _I would like her to show me a first rate laugh~ Hi-hi-hi~_** "

Amelia sighed; feeling as if she had no choice left either way. Ciel would order her sooner or later, so she stretched her fingers and muttered. "Then, I volunteer… I volunteer as tribute."

Undertaker grinned. " ** _Earl~ This pet of yours is something~_** " Ciel and Sebastian were about to complain about it but she raised a hand and stopped them. Although, being called a pet was something that ticked her off somehow.

"May I borrow your gloves, Madame? And I would like to ask all of you to step outside for a moment, please." She proceeded to wear the pair of gloves and pulled on them tight.

"M-Mia…" Ciel sounded slightly worried and doubtful.

"You must absolutely _not_ peek inside." she ordered them.

Then a cackle erupted from inside the shop, so loud that Undertaker's signage fell off the roof.

"Please come back in. Let's continue our discussion." The housekeeper said simply as she opened the door for them after a few minutes. They were stunned to see Undertaker shaking, drooling and chuckling.

" ** _Come~… Continue~ Gu-fu~ whatever you want to know is fine~…_** "

Ciel whispered to his cousin, "What did you… do?" in return, Amelia just grinned at him. "Something I learned from the past five years. Sometimes, you just have to force it a little." The young earl still looked clueless, so the housekeeper just winked it him.

Amelia proceeded to thank the Madame for the gloves and the Red Lady hesitated at first but wore them again. They all sat on the coffins once more, since they sensed it was finally time to be serious and waited for the Undertaker to speak.

" ** _Actually, I've always thought… that there weren't enough 'guests'~ Gu-fu~_** "

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him. "Not enough?" The Undertaker agreed with a nod. " ** _Internal organs, of course~ Don't you think that the eternally sleeping 'guests' that lay in coffins are so cute?~_** " he paused, caressing the replica of a human body.

" ** _My hobby is to take out the organs for research~_** "

They all stared at the beakers they drank from.

_'_ _I regret that I drank from this thing…_ ' Amelia thought.

" ** _That prostitute isn't a whole woman anymore… because her womb… is_** **gone.** " Absentmindedly, the brunette reached for her lower abdomen. "What a cruel beast…" she murmured bitterly, so soft that only she could hear it; save for the demon butler that looked at her through the corner of his eyes.

Though the thought of having children wasn't in her head, but to be killed with the womb being taken away bothered her to an extent.

It purely disgusts her.

Undertaker explained that recently, these kinds of 'guests' have been increasing rapidly. Their bodies dripping with blood have all made him busy nowadays. "Let's just say that there aren't very many people out on the streets at night, but accurately cutting out specific organs couldn't be done by a regular person, correct?" Sebastian said.

" ** _The butler understands well; I too feel this way~_** " Undertaker agreed with him. Undertaker then made a small demonstration as to how the murderer kills, using Ciel as a dummy. " ** _He should slit the throat first and proceed to cutting open the stomach~ it's easier to succeed this way~_** "

"A normal person couldn't possibly do that. Maybe someone with experience…?" Amelia said, thinking of something, like doctors.

" ** _She's right~ you should've been able to figure that out too, Earl~_** " Undertaker took a step back away from Ciel, " ** _Can you stop him?~ the '_** **Notorious Noble** ** _' – Earl of Phantomhive~_** "

"The world of darkness has the world of darkness's rules. He wouldn't murder random people for no reason. There must be an influence manipulating him from behind." Ciel replied as Sebastian put his coat on him.

"I won't be scared, no matter what tricks the Queen's lackeys want to use, I will solve them all."

The brunette frowned; saddened by the fact that Ciel was already, _that_ mature at such an early age. She then opened the shop's door for him. "Sorry for intruding, Undertaker."

* * *

"What do you think after hearing that?" Ciel asked Sebastian and Amelia in particular. "I've been thinking… the murderer should be an ' _anatomical expert_ ' but also knows where the police are when they commit the crime." The said butler answered.

"Must be something or someone like a wicked doctor…?" the brunette added, in which nobody seemed to have paid attention to.

"The culprit could be taking away the organs for some kind of ceremony." Sebastian added to his thought.

"What, they're members of some _'Black Magic Cult'_?"

"Then where should we start from? It's ' _The Season_ ' right now, there's so many people gathered at the capital!" Madame Red felt distressed, having to think of how long that would take.

They had a round of debates here and there, and finally decided that Sebastian would get a list of possible suspects, interrogate them and make a report about them.

"As the Earl of Phantomhive's butler, how could I not be able to accomplish such a _small_ matter?"

Ciel smirked as the ' _perfect'_ butler opened the carriage doors. Obviously, he will jump off from the fast-moving carriage and carry on with the orders given to him.

"Miss Mia, please do prepare tea after you arrive at the townhouse." He ordered and the latter gave a salute as a response.

' _Wait, what? "Miss" Mia?_ '

"As for you, Grell isn't it? Please drive the horse carriage back home safely."

"Then please excuse me if I leave now." He said as Ciel shooed him off. The butler slammed the door in the process, leaving Lau, Madame Red and Grell shocked and speechless, more because of him jumping off without so much as a scratch.

Madame Red sighed, "Let's forget about Sebastian…"

Ciel placed his chin on his palm, looking out the window. "Since my butler said he'd do it, he'll definitely do it. But he'll arrive home before us." Amelia nodded, "I agree. That's why I don't know why he still asked me to prepare tea after arriving home."

Their aunt looked at them but focused her statement on Ciel, "You have _that_ much confidence in him…"

Ciel replied nonchalantly, "Of course. Because he never lies, he'll accomplish it."

"Well Madame, he _is_ Sebastian after all." The older cousin added with a small smirk.

After some short while, Lau spoke. "I see. It must be because since a long time ago, he's always been by the Earl's side. Never leaving the Earl like a shadow; just like a shadow."

Amelia tilted her head to the side and tried to think back on her past. She realized, she has not seen Sebastian even before. And he said so himself, that he's _new_.

"Sebastian hasn't been serving me for two years yet, right?" Ciel asked.

" _Ah_ , is that so?"

Silence took over the carriage, causing the housekeeper to become sleepy, and she focused on counting ladies on the streets who were wearing red so as to not sleep in the presence of the nobles. She guessed that Grell had taken the wrong turns and all of them were probably lost.

She sighed, ' _At this rate, we'll be late_.'

* * *

As Amelia opened the door for them, it was Sebastian they first saw. She and Ciel weren't surprised actually.

"Welcome back. I've been waiting for everyone for a while." He said with a hand on his chest as he bowed. "Black tea has been prepared, today's dessert is a European pear and blackberry buckle."

Ciel was already on his way to eat snacks but Madame Red suddenly yelled, "Hold on! How did you get back here!?" Amelia followed Ciel to the snacks part but they had to stop since Sebastian had to answer the question.

"What? Didn't I say I had things to do? I rushed back home first."

"By things, you mean… you already created a _blacklist_!?" Madame Red's so shocked her eyes are wide as saucers.

Then, Sebastian took at least three thick scrolls. "Investigating every noble's head physician took a rather long time."

Madame Red put a hand on her waist, "Hold on, Sebastian. How could you investigate the information of this many people?" as she was saying this, Sebastian started stating names of people and alibis and all that from one scroll to the next.

Ciel just chuckled as his butler continued. It took Sebastian only a few minutes to be able to finish _all_ those. Madame Red's face remained surprised that it was priceless. "The aforementioned names are the results of my investigation. Currently, none of these people fit the conditions to be the murderer."

"Everyone let us have tea then, while we chat." Amelia tried, offering the nobles. Even just the smell and by the sight of Sebastian's homemade dessert was fine by her, because she knew she wouldn't be able to have a taste now that she's a servant.

But a certain middle-aged lady just wouldn't let it go.

"How did you do it, Sebastian? Are you really just a butler? You couldn't be on Her Majesty's secret service, right?" Madame Red seems so impressed.

Amelia found herself remembering Azzuro upon hearing Madame Red's statement, making her twitch. It was a good thing nobody had noticed that.

"No, I'm just one _hell_ of a butler." Sebastian replied with a smile.

* * *

So everyone's having tea now, except for the servants.

"To be ' _a doctor and knowledgeable about anatomy_ ', to ' _have no alibi on the day before the incident_ ', followed with ' _being connected to a secret society or black magic_ ', there is only one person who fits this criteria." Sebastian started discussing about the case as the nobles ate.

"It would be the Viscount of Druitt, Lord Aleister Chamber."

The brunette's eyes widened, recognizing his name and thought to herself, ' _Great, I get to encounter that bastard again? Please, spare me._ '

"…But there is a rumor that he has hosted parties where only those close to him could attend."

"Viscount of Druitt, huh? Now that you mention it, I do recall he's been into black magic quite recently." Madame Red commented.

"So he is suspected of carrying out some sort of ceremony during that ' _secret party_ '. And to use those prostitutes as altar sacrifices?" Lau speculated.

"At the 19th hour today, the Viscount will be hosting a party." Sebastian informed everyone. "Ah, I believe it would be best that tonight, we investigate since the seasonal period will be ending soon." The brunette advised, deciding to listen to the conversation and not to get lost in her thoughts.

Ciel put down his fork, "Madame Red, because of this reason, can you think of something?" The said red aunt smirked and flipped her hair. "Aren't _you_ underestimating me? Aren't I rather popular? A few words here and there and it'll be arranged."

Amelia fought back a smile to erupt from her lips. ' _Ah, she hasn't changed at all. From all those advices about men and myself and pretty much everything; she and her sister are the best aunts and I'm satisfied with her being alive, still._ '

"No matter what, I must get into that 'secret party'." Ciel said. Madame Red stood up, "You will not be going in the name of Phantomhive, and so you must use this chance properly! There's only one chance!"

* * *

"Such grandness, it really is the last day of the social season." Madame Red got off the carriage, carrying a black fan with her.

"It seems tonight will be rather enjoyable!" Lau said, following the middle aged woman.

"We're not here to play so don't let your guard down!" Ciel got out of the carriage, wearing a pink frilly dress, with a floral hat, and curly pigtails, looking completely like a little girl, much cuter than his fiancée. Madame Red can't even stop herself from attacking him with a tight hug. "So cute! Really! _Super cute_!"

"Let go of me! Why do I have to be dressed like _this_?!" Ciel asked annoyingly.

Amelia got down the carriage herself. "Young Master, it's not only _you_ who should be complaining. Why do I have to go to this party too?! And why do I have two roles?! It's so unfair…" she pouted slightly and curses everyone in her head. ' _Basically, damn you all._ '

"Oh my, oh my, ladies should not shout so loudly," Sebastian apprehended them, which annoyed the two cousins more.

Back at the townhouse, before all that commotion happened, Madame Red was the one behind it all.

The lady in all red had instructed, but more like insisted, that they should all come up with a disguise when attending that night's party.

"Lau's role is to be my lover, Ciel is my niece from the countryside, Sebastian is my niece's home tutor, Mia is Ciel's cousin and Sebastian's lover while Grell can be as he is."

Which led to Sebastian having to force Ciel into a dress, meaning, the young earl had to wear a corset. They were, at that time, in another room, with such _noises_ everyone could hear from the outside.

" _S-Sebastian…_!"

" _Please endure a little longer, you'll quickly get used to it."_

Ciel gasped in pain, pulling his head back.

" _You're going to kill me! They're coming out!_ "

" _No corset has ever made a woman's internal organs come out_ ,"

Amelia would've laughed, if only Madame Red wasn't dragging her inside a room, about to force her into a dress.

"M-Madame Red, please, I don't think all this would be necessary? Surely that being a maid would be a good enough disguise?" the housekeeper reasoned, but the noblewoman slammed the door shut behind her and held the servant's arms.

First of all, Amelia found her 'roles' awkward: about being Ciel's cousin—could be by coincidence, yes—or maybe the woman was able to notice something about her; and of course, about being Sebastian's lover.

The housekeeper thought of Mey-rin being the best for the job, but then she thought that the maid wouldn't last since she would've fainted, thus, passing the role to her in the end.

Madame Red cut her from her thoughts. "But that would be dull, my dear. You're still young, and you should have fun! It's rare that you get to wear lavish dresses too! It's also just for the sake of the case; who knows, maybe you might catch the eyes of the Viscount," Madame Red winked at her before turning around to start rummaging for dresses.

Amelia sighed, and could only watch as Madame Red picks her a dress. "I've had my eyes on this one for a long time, but I haven't worn it yet, since I thought it wouldn't suit my red hair, and I think this would look good on you!"

Amelia was surprised.

It was a sleeveless dress, with a black bodice. And it had these large, dark feathers that appears to cover it that looked a shade of green when light hits it; and it seemed to have been bound there, by the waist, with a purple band of ribbon, black and purple gems adorning it. The underskirt was purple satin, with black tulle over it. Then the over-skirt was ruffled, purple fabric.

Compared to what Elizabeth had given her, this dress was far more mature-looking, and she hoped that it wouldn't make her look too old.

The Madame was kind enough to help her put the clothes on, so as to save time.

"I knew it, I knew it! It's perfect, Mia! You look wonderful; absolutely splendid!" Madame Red clapped her hands in excitement, and then led Amelia to a full-body mirror so the latter could see her reflection.

"Do you like it? After all this, you can have that. Consider it as a gift for supporting my nephew, despite being newly-hired."

"N-No, it's fine, Madame Red, I won't have any other opportunity to wear such a dress, and it _is_ yours…" Amelia _did_ actually like it, as if the dress was just for her.

"Nonsense, my dear! Now, you help me put this on." she paused and grabbed a hot red dress for her to wear. The housekeeper could only follow what was asked of her to do.

The noblewoman put on some finishing touches; more on the housekeeper than her own self. Madame Red had given Amelia a pair of black gloves that reached her elbows, as well as black heels.

"I don't know if I should say this, but I feel so nostalgic upon doing this. You remind me of a long-deceased young lady, who would've had so much potential," Madame Red ran her fingers through Amelia's hair, in which the latter forced a smile to her face.

"You mean, Lady Elizabeth's sister? I have heard about it from the young Midford herself, Madame. May I be frank with you, if it's alright?"

Madame Red nodded, urging her to continue. "I find it quite surprising yet, at the same time, it bothers me to an extent that the Young Master's relatives are reminded of a deceased loved one, because of my existence." Amelia gripped on the dress' fabric by her knees and the elder woman noticed this, thus placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No need to fret, Mia. It has been five years; we will get used to it. Actually, it's not something you should be negative about, okay? Now look in the mirror,"

" _You are who you are_ ; don't get affected by what people around you would say."

Amelia gasped, and she fought back the tears that would've started to well up in her eyes. She blinked it back and grinned at the noblewoman. "Thank you, Madame Red. Though I feel that I may have burdened you with this, still, I am really grateful to you."

"I don't mind at all; now let me look at you once more," Madame Red hoisted the brunette from her seat, and squealed, the same way Elizabeth had. "Seeing you in this attire; and picturing you and Sebastian as lovers! Ah, it's so _perfect_!"

Madame Red nudged Amelia's waist with her elbow. "It's not a lie when I say that you and the butler look absolutely _good_ together," Amelia could only remain silent, look down, as she tried to hide the faint blush that dusted her cheeks.

Madame Red chuckled evilly. "Oh, this is the right timing; I feel that _you_ have taken a liking to that man, am I right?"

The housekeeper was going to protest, her eyes were wide and mouth went open to speak, until a knock on their door stopped her. ' _You have_ got _to be kidding me._ '

"It is almost time, Madame. Is the housekeeper troubling you?"

The said servant scoffed, which wasn't left unheard by the lady in red. Madame Red smiled softly, "Of course not, Sebastian. We're finished, so there's no need for waiting." She went on ahead, opening the door, wherein the butler had already stepped aside so she could pass freely.

Amelia followed behind her, with her head slightly bowed, her gaze not meeting Sebastian's.

"Well now, everyone's ready? Sorry for the wait, I just _had_ to make sure Mia looked presentable, after all, it's also part of her role." Madame Red began, looking around at their group.

"And you have done a splendid job; as expected of the Madame." Sebastian commented to tease the housekeeper, which earned him a glare from the human lady being talked of.

Amelia spat in a whisper, moving close to him as instructed by the Madame. "You better shut your trap, butler. You know I didn't sign up for _this_." She latched her arm onto his, as what lovers would do, and began to move as everyone began to make their way to the carriage. Amelia could feel that the butler was smirking the whole time.

Though she wasn't going to deny it, that the butler really _smelled good_.

* * *

"So, why is my role as _'your niece'_?" Ciel questioned for the nth time. The Madame laughed, "Because I've always wanted a daughter! A cute daughter who would look lovely in those long flowing dresses!"

"And for that reason you—?!" Ciel was cut off yet again by Madame Red. She whispered into _his_ ear, "I was just joking. To have your cover blown as Earl Phantomhive would be a troublesome thing, no?"

Then she explained that it's the best solution since if anyone sees a one-eyed young boy with a dashingly handsome butler would know that it was the 'Earl of Phantomhive'.

"Anyway, the Viscount's security is tight. And he likes _girls_ so you're perfect!" Madame Red finished.

Sebastian urged him, "Did Young Master not say so before? To use ' _any means necessary'_?" Ciel grumbled.

"Don't worry, it's also why I had Mia dressed up,"

Amelia frowned. "Am I a bait as well?"

"Technically speaking, yes, you are. It will depend on who catches the Viscount's attention first. If he likes the both of you then we hit the jackpot!" Madame Red explained with much enthusiasm, causing the housekeeper to take a deep breath. Sebastian offered his arm, and this time, obviously without a choice, Amelia took it as she rolled her eyes at the smug butler.

"Then shall we go, my Lady?" Sebastian motioned his hand towards the Viscount's mansion, talking to Ciel; which was their group's go signal for them to enter.


	10. Sickening Viscount

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"First thing's first, we look for the Viscount," Amelia stated in a serious tone.

"The Viscount is a good man and because of this I am so fired up!" Madame Red said, as if she wasn't in an undercover mission.

Ciel began murmuring complaints as they walked, making the housekeeper chuckle.

"This is terrible. The dress is so heavy, the shoes are extraordinarily painful,"

"And just how do ladies manage to bear with it? I don't know either, but _please_ , endure it for the sake of the case." Amelia rolled her eyes as she replied, trying to make the earl look on the bright side: that he was just wearing that for a single night.

"I really don't want my fiancée to see me like _this_." The young earl decided to ignore his cousin's statement, even if she did have a point.

" _Wow! What a pretty dress_!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, they—Ciel, Sebastian and Amelia—froze in their spot.

" _That head-piece is so exquisite_!"

"Sebastian, I told you the corset was too tight; I'm starting to hear things." Ciel muttered, just to try and reassuring himself. But his companions knew they had to make sure that they were still sane.

The trio gulped and decided for them to look back and indeed, they saw Elizabeth.

"Lots of pretty dresses tonight, and they're all so _cute_!" Elizabeth muttered innocently, her eyes sparkling at the sights of ladies in dresses. Meanwhile, her elder sister tried to put the Phantomhive boy at ease. "Calm down, Ciel. And be _quiet_ ,"

"Let's go this way first," Sebastian started to lead them away from Elizabeth but then; she saw Ciel's cute pink dress. At that moment, they began to regret having the young earl to wear something,

"— _cute_! That child's dress is the cutest!" Elizabeth looked at their group, and her eyes landed on Amelia's outfit as well, making her gasp. "Amazing, that lady's dress… it's breathtaking!" the young Midford continued to exclaim her opinions and comments about people's dresses.

This, of course, annoyed the trio.

"How can Mother let Elizabeth run loose? And when will she learn how to shut her mouth?" Amelia grumbled as they quickly walked away from sight.

But then, Elizabeth Midford decided to chase after them.

"This way, my lady." Sebastian started dragging Ciel with Amelia following close behind. With the help of the number of people inside, the butler easily maneuvered their way around and Elizabeth lost them. "Hm? Where did those girls go?"

They were able to hide behind a table wherein there was an enormous cake. _'Should I poke it and have a tas—!'_

Amelia's thoughts were cut short by Ciel's voice. "Why is _that_ person here? Anyway, let's go to where the ladies are,"

From a distance, they could see Madame Red sitting on a grand chair with men surrounding her; all the while Lau was fanning her.

"Strange… since Elizabeth is here… it's totally unexpected."

"Regardless of the disguise, if we meet…"

"You'll be found out. If the Viscount discovers you, neither you nor Mia will be able to investigate." Sebastian filled in.

"If people find out I'm dressed like _this_ , it'll be the ultimate humiliation for the Phantomhive family!" Ciel gripped on the tablecloth behind them. Amelia sighed at her panicking cousin. "If it comes to that, I'd rather die. Anyway, we cannot—!"

"Viscount Druitt is so handsome tonight! His light golden hair is like gold thread!" the women's voices caught their attention.

Amelia frowned, probably repulsed at the swooning ladies and more on the Viscount. "It's been a while since I've seen that guy…" she mumbled absentmindedly.

"You two have met before?" Sebastian questioned. "Yes. I even shared a dance or two with him in a party before. It was dreadful."

"That aside… I'm going over to greet him!" Ciel said, standing up. "I'm coming with you." Amelia followed. Sebastian gave one last advice to Ciel, "If there's a man beside you, he'll have his guard up so I'll stay here and wait. Please act like a lady and follow Mia's steps."

The cousins were getting closer to the bastard of a viscount—no, I do not sound mean—when Amelia's brat of a sister suddenly squealed in delight in seeing them again. "Damn it… of all times why now?!" from the corner of her eye, Amelia thought she saw the Viscount look at them, but she was focused on hiding once again from her sister.

"Over here, my lady." Sebastian quickly dragged Ciel and Amelia away from Elizabeth. He called some random servant and told him, "Please give a glass of lemonade to that lady." The butler motioned with his hand the young blonde following them. And the servant followed his order, confusing Elizabeth.

After so, they made their way outside into the balcony. "That was dangerous… Why am I the only one in this mess?"

"Hey, you're not the only victim here." Amelia said, crossing her arms over her chest. Suddenly, music started to play inside.

"Dancers are swarming the hall, it'll be difficult to approach the Viscount this way." The brunette scratched the back of her head. "Guess there's nothing we can do now but dance. Still remember what Sebastian and I taught you?"

"Are you saying that I should dance in public with you?! With a _butler_!?"

Amelia found herself reprimanding her cousin and asked, "Is that even necessary in this situation? I think not," Ciel scowled at her but Sebastian had blurted out a good enough reason. "Have you forgotten? At the present I am your 'home tutor' and this status allows me to dance with My Lady for today only. And don't worry; you and Mia will take turns."

"As if that's a good thing?" Amelia murmured, but Sebastian maintained his composure.

After a few minutes, Ciel looked tired of dancing with his butler, so it was Amelia's turn to dance with Sebastian. As they danced, she saw the young earl was panting, as he hid from Elizabeth, making her chuckle, "Ciel really has no stamina; if he continues to pant like a horse, surely the Viscount might notice him," the brunette joked.

" _Amelia_."

It was the first time the butler had called her full first name, in her conscious presence, startling the lady. "Since when did you call me by that name? 'Mia' is fine, there's no need for the whole thing."

"But it has an elegant feel to it, how it rolls off my tongue; the same way you look more elegant in that attire. It suits you more than what you've worn _previously_."

Amelia smirked and rolled her eyes at his answer. "There _is_ a difference between a young girl's and a mature woman's taste in dresses. But I approve of your statement; it's been a long time since I felt that I _looked_ sophisticated." She had decided to stay quiet after that but Sebastian continued to talk as they danced. "And, you were saying you've had a dance or two with the Viscount before?"

"About that… I assume it was also, during the social season. I was invited because my fiancé's… _friend_ was going to escort me. Well, the Viscount was there so it was normal that we had shared a dance or two."

She lied; it was actually _her_ fiancé though that she went with to Druitt's party. ' _That bastard of a fiancé._ '

Sebastian was going to ask another question but the music ended. The three of them reunited, "I'll go get some water for the both of you." As Sebastian was making his move to leave, Ciel and Amelia heard someone clapping.

"Quite fascinating; such lovely dancers just like a robin and a peacock, these ladies."

' _Oh no, no, no. Why am_ I _a peacock? It sounds… unfitting,_ ' Amelia fought hard not to roll her eyes, smirk and shake her head, noting to herself that the Viscount has not changed at all.

Sebastian told them that he'd get refreshments, which meant that they had this chance. And so, it was show time.

"Ah, we're happy to have your praise." Ciel muttered shyly.

He laced his arm around Amelia's waist as he kissed the top of Ciel's palm. "Who did you two come with my dear robin and peacock?" Amelia stopped herself from punching him right in the face. ' _This womanizer_ … _And he still has a habit of calling ladies using animals._ '

"We came with our Auntie Angelina." The brunette answered this time. "Is that so? Then are the both of you enjoying yourselves?"

 _'I was, until you started pulling me closer to your body.'_ Amelia cursed in her mind yet her face and words said otherwise. "This ball is wonderful, my cousin and I are impressed. However, my cousin here has always wanted to speak with you Viscount…" she whispered into his ear, a little _seductively_.

Though this totally sickens Ciel and Amelia to death by now.

Somehow, it didn't surprise her that the Viscount wasn't able to recognize who she was. ' _He's encountered too many women, how is he going to remember me?_ '

"I'm already tired of all this dancing and dining. I wish we could do something more… _pleasurable_." Ciel stated. Viscount of Druitt chuckled at their responses. "Ah, my dearest birds, you really are quite stubborn," They both felt his fingers tiptoe their way down to their hips. The cousins would totally love to kill the Viscount at this moment but they had no choice but to stomach it all.

Amelia rested his head on the Viscount's shoulder and looked at him with fake desire, "Ah, then is the Viscount knowledgeable? Of these pleasurable things…" to make matters worse—for her—she placed a gloved hand to his chest, while the other began twirling a strand of his hair.

"Why of course! If it's you, then your _cries_ would be so sweet,"

And the cousins had a solid plan of destroying the not-so-noble man, as painful and as slow as they want to. Though their time was almost up, for the second song was about to end. They had to speed things up a bit, and pick it up a notch. Whatever, all they knew now, was that they had to hurry. "What is this pleasurable thing?" Ciel asked.

From a distance, they could see from the corner of their eyes that Elizabeth was looking at them both adoringly, especially at Ciel since his dress is the cuter one.

"You wish to know?"

"Yes, I would love to know about it." Amelia answered back which made him look at her, inch his face close to her ear, hot breath against her skin. "But for your dear cousin, it may still be a little too early, don't you think?" he purposely tried to make his voice sound a bit huskier, and to show her eagerness, Amelia placed the hand that was twirling the man's hair, over the back of his head, to lightly run her fingers through more hair.

"I am already a lady!" Ciel said with such fake enthusiasm. Viscount of Druitt began to lower his head, and Amelia could feel his breath on her neck, and he pulled away slightly, with his face a little too close for comfort. "Can you not tell Madame Red?"

And the song has ended.

Amelia bit the corner of her lower lip, batted her lashes at him, and she ran a finger from his chin down to his chest as she spoke. "Why, of course Viscount. Anything for you; this, our own little, _dirty_ secret," Also, at the same time, her sister Elizabeth was on her way there, probably going to humiliate them soon.

Wherever Sebastian was, he was their only hope.

"My robin, you seem to have been troubled by something since a while ago?"

' _He's troubled by what he's forced to do, it's effects if he's discovered by it and partially, with what he's seeing me do, because of_ you _._ ' Amelia thought as Ciel shook his head, "Ah, no, of course not,"

It would only take Elizabeth a few more steps, and Ciel's world would've crumbled on him. And oh so suddenly, what they hoped for happened. Sebastian dropped from out of nowhere, carrying a cupboard with him.

' _He is_ so _not like a human sometimes_.' Amelia thought as the cupboard provided the three of them with much needed privacy.

The butler caught everyone's attention and made Elizabeth stop in her tracks.

"The ball is at its peak, so at this time, may all the gentlemen and ladies watch this magic performance I shall do with this cupboard!" Sebastian began, as the nobles slowly gathered around him. "That gentleman, can you assist me?" he continued, pointing at Lau.

"I don't remember having arranged a performance," the viscount murmured, clueless of what's going on.

"I've seen shows like this countless times already, Viscount, and I'm growing quite impatient with all this dilly-dallying," Amelia was literally begging now, inching her body closer to the blond man, making sure her chest brushed slightly on his. She never felt this disgusted of her own self in her whole life. Running away and pretending to be a man was much better, for her, if this was the case.

"I agree. I'm tired of seeing this, Viscount, _please_ ~?"

Amelia fought back a laugh, but was happy for she has found something to use against her cousin.

"Ah really, I understand my dear birds…" the Viscount led them behind a curtain, his hands at the small of their backs, and then he let go when he opened a door.

By this time, they were behind the doors already, inside a separate room, and could still hear the cheers of people in the hall. "They seem to be lively…" Amelia murmured.

"The place we'll be going to will be even happier than that."

At that moment, Amelia suddenly became nervous. ' _Something's wrong here…_ ' she thought. "How fragrant…" Ciel said. The room had such a sweet smell it made them dizzy and of course, they were in trouble once again.

It was too late when they realized they had to escape the room, for Ciel had already fainted, sliding down the door. "What is… this…?"

The last thing the brunette saw was Aleister Chamber's wicked smile as he said, "That's right… this is a good place, my robin and peacock…"

* * *

" _You're going to kill me! They're coming out!_ " Ciel screamed from inside the room.

' _I've worn corsets since forever so it's impossible that his organs would pop out._ _And the noises he and Sebastian made are so_ wrong,' Amelia would've laughed, if only Madame Red wasn't dragging her inside a room, about to force her into a dress.

Then, the brunette fluttered her eyes open. But she couldn't see anything since she was blindfolded and tied up in a freaking cage. The cage was only fit for one person, and she guessed Ciel was inside a different one.

Then she heard _his_ voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please soften down. Next are the items that everyone has been anticipating for. Please look at them carefully." The sound of fabric falling down from the cage Amelia was in, filled her ears.

Then, gasps were heard through the room. "You may choose one from them, or have them together. You may also choose to keep her in the cage, or you could _play_ with her as much as you wish, or use her in a ceremony." He paused; thinking of some other things the audience could do to the two ladies.

I mean, to the lady and the young lad… in a dress.

"Or parts of her could be sold according to what the customer prefers," the Viscount finished.

' _Just… where is your humanity?! I cannot believe my fiancé was friends with him._ '

"These are hard to get items! This one, her eyes are bright and beautiful: the color of the sea. And the other one with her, having yet with the deep contrasting color of the darkest ends of the forest…"

Then, some men began removing the blindfolds off of their victims. Amelia turned her head to the side and saw her cousin. She wanted to call out to him but he was too far from her, and she might get killed if she does so instead, she tried to remove the ropes that were restraining her.

The housekeeper stopped moving when she felt something sharp and cold pointing to her neck, which was of course, a knife.

"Now I will proceed to show everyone! The starting bid is a thousand! So who else wishes to make a bid?" hands were raised, as they made noises. Amelia frowned and concluded in her mind that the Viscount was the one behind the crimes.

' _Now I really do wonder how he and my ex-fiancé got along well together. Could that man be involved in these? Is he here? Ah, but I remembered that I didn't give a fuck anymore._ '

"Sebastian, we're here…" Ciel murmured with a stern voice, that only he himself could hear.

Then all of a sudden, the lights went out and everyone started to panic.


	11. Last Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Sebastian… we're here…"

Amelia looked around as the lights went out, and she couldn't see at all. It was a good thing she wasn't deaf, and she can clearly hear the crowd's panicking. It went on for a few minutes that their screams of fear, pain and agony filled the underground room and she just blindly watched, until it all died down.

The lights were turned back on.

Then, Sebastian was there.

"Apart from getting caught, you haven't accomplished _anything_. You really are…" Sebastian didn't bother to finish his thought, as he started walking down from the top of the staircase. "You thought if I'd come to your bidding, you could be so careless?"

"As long as I have this contract, you will come no matter where you are, correct?"

' _Are they even aware that I am_ totally aware _of what they're talking about? What is the meaning of this; this harsh contract that Ciel has put Sebastian in?_ ' Amelia thought, her brows scrunched up in disbelief and confusion. She began to wonder if the previous head of the Phantomhives had put a certain old butler named Tanaka under such conditions.

As Sebastian drew near, the housekeeper thought that she saw him smirk. "Of course, I will follow you wherever you go... _until the very end_."

The way the butler spoke sent a shiver down the brunette's spine, finding this side of Sebastian rather creepy. Amelia chose to remain silent, watching her cousin and the butler have some sort of staring contest before the butler proceeded to set Ciel free.

Sebastian held the bars of the birdcage Ciel was in, deformed it to make a huge enough gap between them so as the young lad could step out from there. Indeed, this side of Sebastian was a side she didn't know about. ' _Did he have superhuman strength like Finny?_ ' Thoughts of the gardener being able to control it the way Sebastian does sent some sliver of hope to the brunette lady.

"Even if I were to be shattered in pieces, I would never leave your side. I would follow you to the depths of hell."

Sebastian replied as he made his way now, towards Amelia's cage and began doing the same to get her out of there. The lady could only gawk at his form before her, and remembered she was being bound by ropes. Again.

"Only _you_ cannot lie to me…" Ciel said in what seems to be a total fact for the both of them.

"Yes, My Lord," Sebastian began, then nodded his head with a smirk before turning to duck in, to get close to the lady in ropes.

"Now, as for you Miss Mia…" He whispered a small sermon to the mentioned lady. "You were already with the Young Master, and I believe you're already quite acquainted with the Viscount; yet, in the end, you still failed to protect him?" Amelia only glared at him for a moment then looked away, watching from the corner of her eyes as he removed the thick ropes—by tearing them apart—around her wrists and ankles. She pondered whether to ask the butler about this sudden display of strength, but again, she chose to shut her mouth about it.

' _I just need the right timing to ask them both—there_ has _to be something between these two,_ '

"Like I said, I only shared a dance with that bastard. I never knew he concocts activities like these; plus, I never _dreamed_ of having to do anything with the likes of him. It's like you're degrading me, Sebastian." Amelia explained, since she saw that the butler seemed to be waiting for her response.

"It didn't look that way to me, Mia. Well, the way you acted as though to seduce the Viscount would be somewhat, believable in anyone's eyes,"

Amelia looked up at him, though she heard the smirk in his voice, it wasn't there. In fact, she couldn't even read his expression, but she quickly averted her eyes from his intense ones, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Shut it, you don't know how disgusted I felt while I was 'seducing' him. I still do not agree that I seemed _sultry_ enough already,"

Sebastian only blinked before he helped her get out and get back on her feet, and she stretched her arms, trying to calm herself, then mustered enough courage to mouth him another word of gratitude for saving them.

"I've already called the police. They should be getting here soon."

Amelia went near Ciel's side, seeing the Viscount unconscious, on the floor, a little behind them. The feeling of wanting to talk to him just to ask about _that man_ , her ex-fiancé, took over her for a moment but Ciel's voice cut her from it.

"Then we should not dwell in this place any longer. Even if we stayed, those dogs at the Scotland Yard would give us a hard time." Ciel commanded, putting a hand on her— _his_ —waist.

It seems that Sebastian couldn't hold his teasing as he took a final look over his master and gave a short sinister laugh. "My Lord, in your current state, you are more fitting to be referred to as 'My Lady'," He said with his knuckles pressed under his chin.

Ciel blushed at his butler's statement, putting him in a worse situation with Amelia squealing at him childishly. The young earl's eyes darted over to his now, laughing cousin, and scowled. "F-Forgive me, Ciel, but it's just that Sebastian's right. You look too adorable, much more than real girls your age," Amelia knew she crossed the line with that said, so she forced herself to calm down, since she realized, that it was unforgivable behavior in front of men.

' _Well, that was what Mother would say_.'

"Aw, lighten up, at least now, the incident of Jack the Ripper has been solved."

Voices and heavy footsteps of the police could be heard from the outside, signaling the trio that it was time for them to hurry.

Sebastian removed his glasses and carried Ciel and Amelia effortlessly, "Then, we shall leave."

He ran and jumped on top of roofs, with Elizabeth nearly catching sight of them at some point. And again, Amelia mused at this butler, ' _…Is he even human?_ '

Amelia sighed, her hair flowing with the wind as Sebastian continued his jumping and running. "Oh right, and what are those glasses even for, Sebastian?"

The man in question only chuckled at her query, and never bothered to answer her until they arrived at the townhouse.

* * *

The following morning, Sebastian handed Ciel his newspaper as Amelia poured a cup of tea for him.

 _"_ What is the meaning of this?! The Viscount didn't go anywhere last night!" Ciel shouted, full of doubt and shock. The housekeeper looked over his head and read the headline of newspaper. '" ** _Jack the Ripper Returns!_** _Victim: Annie Shepherman. Another prostitute sacrificed._ " _Meaning, it wasn't the bastard after all. And also, our efforts, especially Ciel having to put on a dress, is now in vain._ ' Amelia thought, disappointment rolling off of her in waves.

"I have to come up with something again. We have to narrow it down." Ciel said, standing up from his seat after taking a sip of the tea. "Sebastian, organize the list."

Night came, and the rain began to pour harder as the time passed by; and now there was lightning and claps of thunder.

The trio had been doing nothing but read and go over people's profiles one by one, for most of that day.

"There are 4.5 million people in London alone. During the seasonal party period, there would be even more. If we relax the requirements, the pool of people increases." Ciel said as he sighed exasperatedly, placing a sheet of paper down.

Across him would be his cousin-in-disguise as his housekeeper, who had her brows furrowed as she continued to investigate and analyze. There were some, she had to admit, that sort of ring a bell upon seeing their face or reading their names. Amelia sighed, and put the final sheet on top of her own pile of papers. She stretched, massaged her nape and let out a breath.

"You're still working?" Madame Red peeked in, before welcoming herself in the room. "Sometimes you don't have to work so hard. Want to relax a bit and play this?" she held a chessboard with her and walked closer.

Amelia stood from the seat and bowed slightly, to give space to the noblewoman while carrying the pile of papers she was about to go through to another part of the room.

"International chess? It brings back memories," Ciel said. "Is that so? Because you were coming, I got this out from the attic." Madame Red then pushed away the papers a certain brunette had neatly placed on the table. Her eye twitched, but she made sure that her back was facing the nobles. She took in a huge amount of air to prevent herself from snapping at the lady in red.

' _Patience, patience, Amelia. Breathe, and pick them all up. Think of it as a Toddler-Elizabeth ruining your homework. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts,_ '

Amelia decided not to look at the Madame's direction and instead, glued her eyes to the floor as she picked the discarded papers. After doing so, she sighed  and stood in one corner of the room and resumed reading, all the while listening in on their conversation.

"Come, take a break! Take a break! Grell, please prepare some tea." The said butler did what he was told. "It's already late so I've prepared herb tea made from wild roses."

Hearing about herbal tea brought back images of a certain house steward in the housekeeper's mind. She was about to smile, but then Madame Red's loud voice brought her back to reality. " _This tastes **awful**!_ "

Amelia massaged her temples as Madame Red continued her complaint. "Since when was herbal tea supposed to be salty?! How can you call yourself a butler if you can't even make us tea?!"

' _Oh, ouch. That was a hard blow. It ought to leave a mark on poor Grell's heart of a butler._ '

Grell's apologies filled their ears and he quickly made his way outside, about to replace the trashy drink he made with something that would hopefully be edible.

"That butler of yours, whether he's capable or just a workaholic…" Auntie started to change the topic, forgetting about the salty herb tea made by her own butler.

"This is nothing." Ciel said as he moved a chess piece. "Since he's so capable, you should just make him do the investigation on the Viscount instead." Madame Red suggested, making a move of her own.

"It is not possible to move the chess pieces without _me_ , the person behind it. If I won using a free moving piece, that would not be to my credit."

Amelia's brow raised as she picked up another piece of paper to read, and it just came to her that she's one of her cousin's so-called 'chess pieces'.

"That is my ' _power_ ' and ' _hands and legs_ '. Sebastian is merely one of my pieces." He paused then smirked, "The one who gives the order will always be the master. Without my command, he will not make a move."

"But the difference between Sebastian and chess pieces is that, he can _singlehandedly_ take down all the other 'knights'. Just like that." Using his horse, he knocked down the Madame's bishop as a complete demonstration.

"Doing that is against the rules!" Madame Red complained. "That's right, _if_ this was a game of international chess." He smirked.

"Unfortunately, in reality, there is no situation where one can win by merely following the rules."

Amelia fought back a yawn and tried to stay awake. She was now able to finish another pile, and decided that she should begin organizing them, along with what Ciel and Sebastian have finished reading.

"In order to maintain the balance in this game, I too must break the rules, no? If we, in England were to be less attentive, we would be finished."

Madame Red's face softened, "You should, apart from being the Watchdog of the Underworld society, have another way of living. Sister—your mother, would have wanted that too."

Amelia frowned, now standing a few steps from the butler's side, focused on the papers before her. Her display of emotion wasn't left unnoticed by Sebastian, of course.

' _That's one of the many things I've wanted to tell Ciel, but I don't know him that well anymore._ '

"He changed, I changed. Everything changes." She murmured, making sure only she and the butler could hear her.

"You want to take revenge for my murdered sister?" Madame Red asked him, telling him that even the late Rachel Phantomhive wouldn't want him to do it; that she wouldn't have wanted Ciel to be the way that he is right now.

"I never thought of taking revenge. Even if I did, the dead would not come back. Whether it be avenging or take revenge on someone's behalf, these are just pretty words and only a show of selfishness." Ciel has made a point to his only aunt left coming from his mother's side. Madame Red remained quiet as the young earl gathered his thoughts.

"I did not do this for the name of the Phantomhive family, I did it for myself. I want those who betrayed the Phantomhive family to experience the same level of humiliation and suffering that _I_ did."

Amelia sighed sadly, ' _Those inhuman psychos that did this to the Phantomhives deserves something more than death. They hadn't realized that they destroyed my cousin's childhood, my cousin's_ everything.'

" _Checkmate_."

Madame Red lost a total of forty-six games. Amelia spared a small smile on her lips while collecting the pieces and proceeded to clear their table free of the board game. ' _How nostalgic, though. I wonder, when was the last time I played with Ciel? I wish I could, sometime, in the future… and attempt to win._ '

Madame Red reminisced about the events from long ago, back to when Ciel was just a newborn. "You were so small and cute, I felt that I had to protect you." She added. "I treat you as if you were my own son even though I've never had children. And so, I want you to _leave this society_."

"I am here because this is what I wish and what I choose. I won't regret anything and neither will I rely on anyone."

Ciel got up and kissed Madame Red's cheek. "It's time for me to retire. I had a happy time playing with you Madame Red. Good night."

The young Phantomhive headed towards the door, and in came Grell with a new, fresh pot of tea. He looked confused at the leaving Ciel, his gaze following him, and probably thought that his effort was wasted.

"Why, must that child bear that kind of pain and coldness at such a young age," Madame Red spoke to no one in particular, feeling sad for Ciel's situation.

"The Young Master is the type of person who will work tirelessly towards something once he has made his mind up; even if the path he chooses is long and dark or cold and merciless." Sebastian decided to reply, causing the housekeeper to look at him this time.

"And that is why I will remain by his side to serve him."

Then, Madame Red asked a favor from Sebastian that he should never leave Ciel's side, that he should never let the child get lost and lose his way. Sebastian responded by kneeling down, with a hand on his chest saying he would definitely do it and protect Ciel.

"What a pitiful night, as though there will be a storm…" Lau said with a small smirk, as thunder and lightning cracked through the darkness outside.

After cleaning up, Amelia was tasked to send the nobles off, as Sebastian had ordered her to do.

Madame Red gave the housekeeper a 'goodnight message' that she never knew would be the final message she would get from her aunt.

"And as for you Mia, please become Ciel's mother-figure. Treat him as if he's your son or younger brother even. Remember my words, alright? You are a beautiful lady, and it gives me a feeling of warmth that you have reminded me of _her_ , the niece I loved as if she were my own daughter."

Amelia had to stop herself from crying right in front of her, and just tell her the truth. She pushed all that back with a smile. "Yes, Madame, I will most certainly do that. I can't thank you enough for the short time we've spent together. Please have a safe trip home."

She closed the door behind her and just remained there, by the doorway. The housekeeper swallowed, to push down the lump that formed in her throat, taking in a shaky breath in the process.

Upon calming down, she remembered that Sebastian told her not to attend to Ciel's needs for that night, that he counted the times she had held back a yawn from escaping her the whole time she worked, and thus, she should just head directly to her room and sleep.

Amelia frowned, feeling her heart speed in its beating, feeling nervous. ' _It's this feeling again, when something bad is going to happen. And no, Sebastian. You are not the Master I'm serving. I won't leave things this way,_ '

She sneakily went her way just outside of Ciel's room, wherein the door was left hanging open. It was dark outside, in the hallway she was hiding in. Taking a peek, the brunette watched as the butler threw away the papers, which were now falling everywhere inside. ' _What on earth… the effort in doing that list… Sebastian…?_ '

"One of your orders is for me to be your ' _chess piece'_ , to become your ' _sword_ '," Sebastian paused, raised a gloved hand to his master.

"Come, make your checkmate, My Lord."

Amelia's eyes widened, ' _What? They already know whom Jack the Ripper is? So that's why I'm feeling this way again. This is it, I must follow them._ ' She quickly turned after hearing the address they were headed to, ran to her room as quietly as she can to change since her cousin was about to get dressed to carry out their midnight mission.

"Damn it, this corset. I have no time to remove this. Sure I heard the destination, but London's a large place!" Amelia muttered to herself, hastily opened the bag she brought with her, and was actually glad she brought a pair of daggers which she bought when they last went to London.

Amelia raised her uniform's skirt to put on the thigh scabbard and she made sure her hair was up in a high ponytail before she left her room.

"It's show time,"

The housekeeper let the other two go on ahead, watching as Sebastian jumped from roof to roof once again, heading in a single direction. ' _Alright, that was enough for me. I can go there by myself now that I know which way I should go,_ '

Amelia sighed and began to move, walking then running as fast as she could.

* * *

"So the murderer's next target is Maria Gale, who lives in that room?" Ciel asked his butler, and little did they know that Amelia was just in time to listen in on them.

' _Maria Gale…?_ '

"Yes, I've told you many times that I haven't got it wrong."

"It's true that apart from their missing internal organs, they also have ' _something in common_ '."

Amelia cursed them in her mind, feeling betrayed that the two of them had kept something important about the case from her. ' _I mean, if you're going to get me involved, at least tell me the details,_ '

"However, must that person really need to go out and kill people?"

Amelia could only wonder at who they're talking of, stealing glances from behind a different wall. She watched as Ciel scolded Sebastian who was currently cuddling a cat.

For a moment, the housekeeper's slight annoyance at the pair faltered upon seeing Sebastian's blushing face, while he adored the feline. She began to wonder if cats were a possible weakness of the butler, and slowly, she dived deep into her own thoughts.

' _He looks so cute with that cat and—Slap_. _No, I must focus. A murderer is coming and Ciel and Sebastian might get in danger so I must be ready. But Sebastian's face was so priceless! He looks so adorable—!_ '

A loud ear-piercing scream got her back from her daydreaming… or rather, 'night'-dreaming.

" _Shit_." Amelia cursed under her breath, and told herself that she was currently in hiding. She breathed, getting herself under control before she does any rash actions.

"What? But no one went inside…?! Let's go!" Ciel said, confused and shocked. The master-butler duo ran from where they stayed  and towards the victim's room, and Amelia took this as a chance to change her own hiding spot. The housekeeper was itching to rush to the two males' sides, wanting to find out who the merciless murderer is.

But little did she know that what she's about to face was something… worse than what she could imagine.

And as the saying goes, "Curiosity killed the cat."

* * *

**A/N: First Author's Note ever! Nothing too important, just, a word of thanks for everyone who has been reading up to this point, yes, I know, it's not too much or not too far but _hey_ I appreciate you all! For taking the time to read ADHE ~~because honestly I still don't think my story is a-okay lol.~~ I hope you continue to look forward to it and ~~lowkey ship Amelia and Sebastian as we progress~~ uhm, if you want to tell me something like, grammar or characterization, don't be afraid to point things out for me; I'd love to hear your opinions hehe. I don't bite, alright? So, I'll leave it at that, and next chapter is coming soon. **


	12. Shocking Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Don't look!" Sebastian said, covering Ciel's wide eyes as the latter opened the door.

But the butler was too late, the young child had seen in it all. And it was too much for his stomach, making Ciel vomit.

Amelia's sister instinct kicked in, watching the situation. ' _Just wait for a few more minutes, Mia… don't rush yourself._ '

"That was fairly over the top, and it's all over the floor… _'Jack the Ripper'_." Sebastian said, his hands still around Ciel protectively. It still amazed the housekeeper how the man can remain his calm when he's right in front of a reckless murderer.

Then she realized that if he wasn't like that, how could he be worthy of being a Phantomhive butler?

"Or rather I say, _Grell Sutcliffe_."

The housekeeper gasped, and couldn't piece it together at the impossibility of a _butler_ such as _Grell—_ who, for her, was innocent and sort of a hindrance at times—to become a murderer. ' _The world cannot be trusted,_ ' She thought as she watched the accused step out from the dark room, soaked with blood on almost every part of his body.

"N-No…! This is… I heard cries and when I got here already…!" he was still trying to make an excuse, feigning innocence, in which was a futile attempt because of his hideous appearance. ' _Did Auntie even know about this?_ '

"Already what? We were always right outside the only route. Just how did you manage to get into the same room as the victim?"

Grell remained silent.

"Isn't it enough, Mr. Grell? No, even _'Grell Sutcliffe'_ must be a fake right? I believe it is time to _please_ stop the act, ' _Mr. Grell'_."

What Sebastian had said confused Amelia even more, thinking that he _was_ a fraud and the whole time, the answer was just under their noses. She felt stupid upon learning these, and that Grell was someone not to belittle if he was capable of these things.

' _That explains why he couldn't even make something as simple as an herbal tea! Because he's at his best when it comes to stirring up murderous plots than stirring tea in pots._ '

"Didn't you act so convincingly?" Sebastian asked, continuously mocking the murderer.

Suddenly, Grell's eyes and teeth changed as a menacing smile painted his lips. His teeth looked like that of a shark's, and he removed his glasses and the bow he used to tie his hair. From maybe one of his pockets, he put on fake lashes and let out a small comb.

As he combed his lovely long black hair, it slowly turned into red.

' _Unbelievable… his hair rivals that of the fairest maidens around London. Is Grell even considered a_ he _?_ '

"Of course, for I am an act _ress_ ; and a top rate one at that! But, aren't you the same, ' _Sebastian'_?" Grell emphasized on the other butler's name, while bringing out a different pair of glasses—hot red and quite rectangular, that had a chain adorned by two small skulls—to complete his… true self.

"This is the name the Young Master gave me. I am ' _Sebastian'_ for the meantime."

Amelia's eyes widened, trying her hardest to process the information as quick as her mind could. ' _So his name… isn't real too_? _But why? Just what, exactly, is the meaning of all this? Oh no, don't tell me Sebastian's like him… her…_ it _?_ '

"Oh, the role of a faithful dog! Even though a handsome man as a loyal dog is also rather nice~ then, allow me to reintroduce myself, Sebastian— _no_ ," Grell paused, talking in a rather exaggerated manner.

"Sebas- _chan~_ I am the butler of the Barnett family, Grell Sutcliffe! We're both butlers so, hello~" he/she/it blew a kiss towards Sebastian which the latter obviously disliked. If only Amelia wasn't dwelling in on her thoughts about these things she were witnessing, she would've chuckled, and pitied Grell that the Death God was born as a man—because honestly, the redhead would've been better off as a _woman_.

"It was my first time seeing a _demon_ as a butler, so I was very surprised at first!"

' _Wait. Hold that thought. What?_ D-demon?' impossible as it seems, the brunette's eyes widened even more.

She was going to explode; she felt it. Her head felt like gelatin, not able to take in everything those one-and-a-half men were saying. Amelia would've gone into shock, but the thread that holds her back to this reality she was experiencing was her cousin Ciel and his safety.

She brought this on herself, since the butler had clearly told her to go to bed. ' _But… he's… no, alright, I should… breathe,_ '

Her eyes darted towards Ciel, and she wondered if he was the one in shock, upon learning this fact about his own butler. ' _Wait, wasn't he… supposed to know that beforehand…?_ '

Another thing that brought back her interest to pay attention to the conversation despite getting dizzy already from the overload of information she had to take, was Sebastian saying, "You, who should've stayed neutral between god and humans: a Death God."

' ** _That's it. This shit is crazy talk._** '

Amelia has had about enough and she mustered up enough courage and used it to cool her head. The brunette stepped out from where she was hiding, and slowly walked towards the commotion.

She didn't realize she was shaking though; it was only until she drew closer. If it was because of the cold, or of her own fear, she couldn't decide. ' _Maybe it's both, but that's not what's important right now,_ '

And at the same time, the Madame was there too.

"My calculations were wrong; who would've thought the person to uncover Grell's real identity would be someone by your side, Ciel?"

"From the very beginning, your name was in the list of suspects—!" Ciel and Amelia said together, causing the young earl to stop whatever he was about to say, turning around to confirm that he wasn't hearing things.

Nonetheless, Amelia remained unfazed as she saw her cousin and his butler widen their eyes at her sudden appearance. She continued what she was going to say. "However, Madame Red your alibi was really _quite_ perfect."

"Mia… how long have you been… listening?" Sebastian asked her, shocked more than anyone else, and the brunette looked at him with dead, cold eyes.

"A while," she sighed, and averted her eyes from him. "The three of us have some talking to do later." Her voice was serious and she focused on the murderers in front of them.

"How terrible of you two; Ciel, Dorothea. Would you really suspect one of your own?"

Now, it was the housekeeper's turn to be shocked once again. "H-how did you—?!" Ciel cut off her question, like the brat that he is.

"As long as there is a possibility, I don't care whether that person is a blood relative or a friend. In the list of suspects, any ' _human'_ couldn't have done it. The same goes for you of course."

' _…How did she find out? Since_ when _did she know?_ ' she tuned Ciel out since he went on discussing about how they concluded that her aunt and her aunt's butler were ' _Jack the Ripper'_.

"The only name on this list was Maria Gale. I thought if I waited, she would appear. However I… couldn't save her." Ciel frowned, look of dismay evident on his face.

"How unfortunate, Sebastian and my cute little nephew, my sister's son. If you hadn't discovered this, we could've still played chess together. Do not think that I do not include you Dorothea, for we could've at least went shopping or have some fun at parties. However…" Madame Red clenched her fists, pausing in her sentence.

' _I don't like where this is going._ ' Amelia thought, biting her lower lip in nervousness.

"I'm not going to go easy on you anymore!" the biologically female half of ' _Jack the Ripper_ ' screamed angrily, and then Grell started charging towards Ciel. The brunette lady quickly pulled her cousin away as Sebastian blocked the chainsaw wielded by the Death God.

"In order to capture souls, all Death Gods have their own tool. It is called a 'Death God's Scythe'." The redheaded reaper introduced the noisy contraption. Amelia raised a brow in question, thinking that 'death scythes' were supposed to look like 'scythes'.

"Shouldn't that be called a death chainsaw instead?" she murmured, and due to Grell's scythe, nobody heard her remark. "I've only seen this sort of thing for the first time. The Death God's Scythe is really a troublesome thing," Sebastian commented, putting an arm in front of Ciel and Amelia protectively.

"Sebastian, I repeat, that looks more like a chainsaw to me," Amelia reiterated, as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's because this one I'm using was specially made to order! This Death Scythe I'm using will play a duet with the soul's last moments! Of course, I guarantee you that it's first-rate!" he/she/it proclaimed proudly, finally clearing the confusion from the human housekeeper.

"Never in my entire existence have I expected to uncover these _truths_ about the world in such a manner." Amelia sighed, earning a glance from Sebastian at her sudden statement. She shook her head soon after, all the while tuning Grell out. He/She/It was slowly getting on Amelia's nerves, disliking the way he/she/it talks.

"I really want to do some _vigorous exercise_ with you~" Grell exclaimed and it literally made the housekeeper shiver; not because of the cold rain nor because of her fear that she slowly overcame, but because of the Death God's crazy antics.

Amelia felt… revolted.

"Can you not say such sickening things? I'm in the middle of work." Sebastian complained then, Grell flailing his arms around, totally fan-girl/boy-ing over the butler.

"That's why I love using fresh blood to do make-up for those ugly women. The more flamboyant a woman is, the more she's as beautiful as a poisonous flower, right?"

"What a psycho," the housekeeper murmured. Grell only twitched his/her/its eye and decided to ignore the human girl for now. He/She/It's focus was solely on Sebastian at the moment. "I'll make you _want_ to use that beautiful wild rose color, and tear your body up to its deepest core, Sebas- _chan~_ "

The housekeeper rolled her eyes and crossed her arms above her chest, annoyed with the nickname for the Phantomhive butler; until the mischievous part of her brain yelled at her to thank Grell for a new way to tease him.

Sebastian went on about the details or duties of a Death God and a butler to the redhead. "To violate these two principles makes me want to throw up." Judging from Sebastian's voice, he was really, really pissed. " _And you still call yourself a butler_?"

"Even though I'm like _this_ , I'm still _a butler to die for!_ " Grell exclaimed as he/she/it struck a pose, the whole point of Sebastian's whole moment not really reaching his/her/its ears.

"Ciel… Please tell me I haven't lost my mind. I'm not the one who's crazy, right? It's the world's fault, right?"

"…If I say yes, would that satisfy you?"

Ciel sighed, didn't wait for whatever his cousin's response would be, and started removing his eye patch, not afraid to show it to Amelia, Madame Red and Grell, "In the name of Her Majesty and my own wretched name, I command you! Capture them!" then his beautiful right eye shined a nice shade of purple.

There in his eye rested a symbol, a pentagram. This wasn't left unseen by the housekeeper, taking note of this dangerous detail and she was firm now with her decision that the three of them would really have the need to talk.

Ciel had ordered Sebastian, and the butler pulled on his gloves tight, using his teeth.

"Yes, My Lord."

Then, Sebastian started unbuttoning his coat and covered Ciel with it. "So that your body won't become so cold. When we return to the mansion, I'll prepare some hot milk for you. I'll add honey or brandy to sweeten it." He said with a smile on his face.

' _A demon can smile, but aren't they supposed to be just down there, in Hell, torturing poor unfortunate sinful souls?_ '

"Mia, why did you follow us anyway?" Ciel asked, making sure his annoyance was out there for her to see, feel and hear. Amelia knew this was her mistake, since it was her choice to follow them. "Let's discuss about that later. Right now, we've got some murderers to take care of."

"Heeey~ don't think I'll let you three go so easily! Lately I've only been encountering unsophisticated prey. My Scythe and I are unsatisfied," they watched Grell as he/she/it jumped a few feet into the air.

"By the way, you there, Mia was it? I think it's time to put on some make-up, don't you think? You reek of ugly!" Grell talked to Amelia as he/she/it landed the chainsaw, destroying the brick road, drawing a line between the two cousins and Sebastian. Amelia pulled Ciel again, away from danger, using her body as the teen's shield.

But she realized that _that thing_ just insulted her. "Excuse me? What did you say? I do think it's the other way around." Amelia flipped her hair, not caring if it's a Death God talking to her and thus, she owned a hard jab of the fingers to her ribs by Ciel. She could only wince and glare down at him, rubbing the parts of her that took the damage. "Best to shut your mouth than provoke such atrocity," he murmured to her before looking away and at the scene in front of them.

"Oh~? I'll have to deal with that bitch at a later time; because for now, dearest Sebas- _chan_ , let's play a wonderful game of hide and seek~!"

' _And just who is the real female dog? Ugh,_ '

Grell and Sebastian had a fight of death as Ciel and Amelia just stood watched. Sebastian was able to knock a lamppost down, using it as a weapon. Grell hurled the chainsaw at him whilst Sebastian blocked it with the said post. However, things aren't turning out that good for the demon.

"This is the real beginning of the show! If you get struck by my God's Scythe, that lamppost you have in your hands would be no different from a tree branch!" the chainsaw cut through the lamppost, making a small slash on Sebastian's right arm.

Amelia gasped at the sight of his blood spluttering on the walls. ' _Well, I think it's better if I start getting used to_ this _. Because for him to withstand such an attack… he must really be…_ ' she thought to herself.

Suddenly, not just blood came out from his arm, but also something like films. They were never-ending though, surrounding Sebastian's body.

"What on earth is that?" Amelia said as images of the past came flashing through their eyes.

"This is the power of the Death Gods, and that is a ' _Cinematic Record_ '. It's filled with dramatic pain, isn't it?" Grell unintentionally answered the brunette's question, since he/she/it _is_ against her existence—Grell was bound to tell them about it, after all. The redheaded reaper went on about the _'Cinematic Records_ ', explaining to them what its purpose really is.

"We will use our Scythe to sever the link between his memories and soul, and this is how we ' _end_ ' his life." The Death God finished, with a small curtsy. "I think that is just a terrible interest. And this sort of spying activity is really the _worst_." Sebastian said with pure hate in his tone.

"No, no! You've got it all wrong! This is _work_! But… a good man's past makes people curious~!"

"Like owner, like scythe. Everything about this _Grell_ is too damn noisy." Amelia murmured, speaking to no one in particular.

Grell suddenly got behind Sebastian and there they go again, fighting, killing each other. But, Grell's on the upper hand though. If they were in much modern times, they could be put in a ring, Grell in the red corner and Sebastian in the black corner: yes, it is exactly boxing.

"But if he's a bad man, then it makes me want to see _more_!"

As of right now, Sebastian is cornered up on the wall, using his two hands to stop the freaking chainsaw. "Once struck by the God's Scythe, regardless of memories, soul, or space…" Grell paused, as his/her/its scythe slowly inched closer to Sebastian's arm.

"Even if it's a _demon_ , it'll be sliced!"

"Why?" Ciel's question caught Amelia's attention; internally smacking herself for being too drawn to the fight scene and sort of, neglected her aunt's presence—their lovely aunt who was the unlikely mastermind of it all.

"' _Why_ ' you ask? How do you expect me to answer, now that you and I have become ' _guard dog_ ' and ' _sinner_ '?"

Amelia's hands ghosted over her skirt, and could feel her daggers beneath them. She knew something was coming; something really, really bad.

"If you weren't a _Guard Dog_ of this place and became the hunted one instead, then there would only be one path for you!" Madame Red then, brandishes a knife towards Ciel.

Amelia quickly pushed Ciel away, which caused the young lad to land on his bottom. In doing so, the housekeeper had no more time to bring out her own weapons, and was too late to avoid the knife. Amelia gasped in pain as the noblewoman who had asked her a favor of becoming Ciel's mother figure stabbed her, hitting her stomach. The brunette held the stab wound, getting her blood on her hands as she fell to the ground. "D-damn it…!"

"Now look at what you've done, Thea. Don't blame me if you die here." Madame Red said, glaring down at her, as Amelia tried to stop the blood from flowing. "But Madame! You are a doctor whose main job is to _save lives_ ; why did _you_ have to murder people?" Ciel had demanded an answer from her.

"Even if I told little brats like you, you wouldn't understand!" she dashed towards Ciel and pushed him up against the wall, choking him. "You would _never_ understand at all!"

Amelia pushed herself up so she could stand and desperately tried to walk. _'Must… protect… Ciel…'_ she told herself a lot of times just to keep the pain out of her head.

"If you had not been born, that would have been the best!" Madame Red screeched as she raised her arm up in the air, aiming to stab at Ciel.

"Young Master!"

"Ciel!"

Sebastian and Amelia exclaimed at the same time, however the butler had beaten her to it, suddenly appearing right behind Madame Red. The brunette saw it—the way Sebastian seemed to slightly change into a black, shadow-like form which you could only see in the most haunting of nightmares.

Amelia figured she was scared of Ciel getting killed or hurt, and was more scared of what she saw from the _demon_.

"Stop it! Sebastian!" Ciel ordered the demon butler. "Don't kill her!" Sebastian seemed shock as his fingers twitched, just a few centimeters away from Madame Red's head. Her knife slid from her hand and landed on the ground with a 'clang' sound.

She can't kill him.

Madame Red hesitated, and her nephew saw that.

Ciel and Amelia both looked at Sebastian, panting, heavily injured as he is. The fear that had been building up in Amelia's chest was suddenly destroyed; sort of pitying Sebastian, despite the fact that he was a spawn of hell.

He's ready to sacrifice his life just for Ciel.

More like, just for Ciel's soul.

"Heh! Sebas- _chan_ 's endurance is pretty good!" Grell commented, pulling out his/her/its bloody scythe from the bloody wall. "His arm was already useless, but he still had to go help that little brat!"

Amelia was determined now—determined to have Grell to shut his/her/its bloody trap. '… _If only I was stronger… and he was more human… and I wasn't injured…_ '

"Kill that little brat already, Madame Red!" Grell sounded annoyed, like the Madame spoiled all the fun in this. The Red noblewoman was shaking, clutching her chest. "So I really couldn't do it… I… can't kill this child…"

"You're saying this _now_? After killing so many women? If you don't kill that little brat, it'll be _your_ turn to be killed! You even have a Death God helping you so what more could you have asked for?!"

"But…" Madame Red started clenching her fists, before turning to face Grell completely, sorrow in her eyes. "But this child is my—!"

She was cut off from her statement, when the redheaded Death God sliced through her chest with the chainsaw. Amelia couldn't bear to witness this, and thus, shut her eyes tight.

"Madame Red… how disappointing. _I am no longer interested in an ordinary woman like you_."

Upon hearing a loud thud, the brunette opened her eyes slowly, and she knew the tears stung her wide, green eyes. The Cinematic Record appeared through the large cut on the woman's body, and they all watched as Madame Red's whole life flashed before them.


	13. Reminiscing the Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Ann! Angelina!" A familiar voice caused the said lady to look up from the book she was reading. "Sister?" Angelina Durless said as her sister, Rachel, stopped by the entrance of their gazebo.

"You're still here? Father called for you. He said he's going to introduce a guest to us." Rachel held her sister's hand in hers, urging the younger one to stand up, in which Angelina unwillingly did so anyway.

"R-Really? But I'm dressed like this…" Angelina started flustering, ashamed of what she looked like at that moment. Rachel then, quickly fixed her sister's hair and added a flower she pulled from her own weave of amber into her younger sister's crimson locks.

"You're really cute, so this is okay!" she said, winking at the redhead. The sisters were walking in the garden to head back to the mansion. "You were reading just now," her statement seemed to be a vague question but Angelina answered it anyway, with much enthusiasm.

"Yes. I'm studying hard. I'm going to be a doctor in the future! And I also want to cure your asthma. It's not like I'm pretty, and I'm no good with going to parties, so I might not even be able to get married…" the younger one said, with a lack of confidence by the end of her reply, which caused the elder sister to stop in her tracks and look at Angelina.

"What are you talking about? Ann, you're so lovely and you're smart. So, you should have more confidence in yourself. Also…" She paused, suddenly grabbing the other's breasts and squeezed them, earning herself an embarrassed gasp from the heavily blushing younger lady. "Your breasts are _so_ big too! I'm so jealous~"

_My frail sister was a gentle and extremely beautiful woman, but she never put on any airs, and I loved her the most. I loved her amber hair the most, which was just like our mother's. I admired it so much._

_I first encountered 'that man' when I was fifteen years old._

"Rachel, Angelina, come and greet Earl Phantomhive." their father said as soon as the two young ladies entered. The Earl of Phantomhive spoke in a calm voice, engaging them both in a conversation, "How do you do?"

_I used to hate my red hair that was just like my father's. I used to hate red._

"Why do you keep your bangs so long?" he suddenly asked Angelina. The redheaded lady's cheeks warmed up quite a bit, and looked down to avoid his gaze. "Because I'm not beautiful like my sister… and my hair is so red too." She held one of the twin braids that her personal maid had done for her.

"There is nothing shameful about being different from others. This is your character!" he told her. "Ann's red hair is really beautiful, just like the color of red spider lilies in their full bloom." He was complimenting the lady, and then he added, "Red really suits you. You should have more confidence in yourself."

_And so I cut my bangs. I came to love my red hair that was just like my father's. I came to love red._

_I fell in love with 'that man'._

"My Lady, Earl Phantomive has arrived." Angelina's maid informed, after knocking twice on her room's door. With her heart racing, Angelina made a few quick dabs of powder onto her face, just to make sure she would look presentable before facing Vincent Phantomhive.

Skipping down the halls, humming happily, she wondered to herself, ' _Will he compliment me?_ ' the thought of it made her heart even happier.

_When 'that man' came, I would wear the red that he said matched me the most._

Opening the door to where he and her sister were waiting, Angelina was welcomed with their smiling faces. They were sitting beside each other, and Rachel held on to Vincent's arm. "Ah, you're here! Ann, I have some good news to tell you."

Angelina forced a smile, and forced her whole being to stay there, trying hard not to break in tears and run away.

' _That man' I loved the most was going to marry the sister I loved the most._

She watched the two people that she said she loved the most during their wedding day. Their faces plastered on with smiles, their hearts filled with happiness.

_I wore red, the color I loved the most, to the wedding._

_If the two people I loved the most were going to be happy, then I would be very happy too._

By this time, Rachel was giving birth to her and Vincent's child. As a nurse, Angelina assisted during her labor. "My Lady, it's a healthy boy!" an older woman, the midwife, said cradling the crying baby in her arms, so it would stop.

The midwife handed the baby boy to Rachel, who was sweating and had a few tears at the corner of her eyes. "That's wonderful… you've finally arrived!" she said, talking to the newborn baby.

"Ann! You hold him! He's your nephew!" Rachel told her sister, despite being breathless, but her voice was still filled with excitement. She handed Angelina her baby and the latter looked at the sleeping baby in her arms. "He's so cute…"

_My most beloved sister and 'that man's'…_

Handing the baby back to Rachel, her elder sister said, "When he grows up, you have to play with him!" Without a choice, Angelina nodded with a smile, "Okay!"

Once again, Angelina watched as Rachel looked so delighted seeing _their_ baby in her arms. "His nose is just like 'that man's'". A sharp pang of jealousy shot through Angelina's heart upon hearing those words from her beloved sister.

_I began to hate red again…_

_From that point onwards, I began to frequently attend the parties I hated the most._

_I attended these parties dressed in the most lavish long dresses and make up._

_I don't remember when it started but people started to call me, 'Madame Red'._

_On the other hand, I studied hard and against the wish of my parents, I obtained a doctor's license._

"Auntie Ann! Come and read to us!" two young children spoke in unison. Angelina growled, scolding them, "Ciel! Elizabeth! I told you before not to call me Auntie! Call me Big Sis!" the two of them started running away, with the dog Sebastian in pursuit.

"I'm so sorry, you're always having to play with them." Her sister apologized, sitting on a chair from a distance. A sigh was heard from another young lady, probably taking a break from a book she was reading.

"I apologize for my sister's behavior. After I finish this book, I shall play with them too." It was Elizabeth's elder sister, who was sitting beside Rachel that followed up with a cheerful grin.

But little did they know that that time was going to be one of the last few moments they would get to be with her.

"It's okay! I like children, and also…" Angelina stopped in the middle of her sentence as Ciel had just yelled, "Father! Welcome home!" the two kids ran from her side to the Phantomhives.

They look like a happy family.

"The weather is so pleasant; I want to play with the children." Vincent said, lifting his little boy in the air with ease.

_My gentle sister and others, my cute nephew, they were all the people I loved the most._

_However, I've always felt it, that feeling of burning passion._

_Eventually, I married a man I met at a party. I told him I had 'a man I couldn't forget'._

_To this he said, 'Even so, I don't mind.' He was a pure and honest man._

_Eventually, I became pregnant._

He pressed his head close to Angelina's big, round belly. "A boy? Or a girl?" The redheaded woman laughed lightly, "Men are so impatient! We don't know at the moment!"

_He treated me very well and I was very happy._

Then one day, on their way home, a tragic accident happened.

"A horse carriage went out of control and hit someone! Someone get a doctor!"

Those were the last words that rang through Angelina Durless' ears before she completely went unconscious.

Moments later, she woke up with bandages found in different parts of her body. The doctor came in with the nurse following behind him, explaining to the patient what had happened.

"Your husband died at the scene, and your organs were damaged. We've removed your ovaries. In order to save you, we had no choice but to do this…" Angelina kept a straight face, looking like a lifeless doll.

_…It should have been like this._

"Ann, how terrible… how terrible it's been for you…" her beloved sister hugged Angelina as Rachel cried.

_Sister came often to visit. She cheered me up greatly._

"Ann! I heard it from the doctor! He said you'd be out of the hospital soon," she had told her younger sister after a few weeks or a month or two, has passed. "It's thanks to sister being here." Angelina replied with a smile.

"We'll have to celebrate! Right, it's going to be my son's tenth birthday soon! Let's celebrate it together with your recovery!" Rachel gladly told Angelina which the younger one wanted to refuse.

Her elder sister suddenly pat her back a few times, "No need to hold back! To celebrate your recovery, you've got to drink to your heart's content!"

_Soon enough, this day arrived…_

_To be honest, I didn't feel like going._

Frowning, Angelina had thought as she rode a carriage to the Phantomhive mansion. ' _In the end, I wasn't able to refuse…_ ' She was only just a few more meters away.

_Because I… actually I…_

Her carriage was suddenly halted, and her train of thought had been disturbed. She poked her head out of its window to ask the coachman. "Why did you suddenly stop?"

"Ma-Madame! Please… Please look over there…" he stammered, a bit frightened of what he saw 'over there'. Angelina went down the carriage and there, she saw it.

_It was the color I hate the most._

_Someone murdered the whole Phantomhive family. The house was completely destroyed by the fire._

_The bodies of sister and her husband were in a horrible state. There was no sign of their child's body._

_I lost everyone that I loved; everything disappeared to a place I couldn't reach._

_I was devastated. Yet, at the same time I was envious of my sister…_

_Because she was able to die together with the 'someone' she loves._

_As a survivor, I still have to carry on living._

"Having a child will only cause problems!" the patient—specifically a prostitute—seated in front of the doctor Angelina, about to undergo operation. "I have no wish to raise a child whose father I am not even sure of."

"How do you expect me to get customers with a child in toll? Anyway, abortion isn't cheap either…" the prostitute finished with a sigh, running a hand through her hair.

_I was filled with hatred! They have something, which I can never hope to have, no matter how much I desired for it…_

_The things I yearned for, the things I treasured. The me, who lost **everything** …_

_And they, 'they' who obviously have everything I desired for… and yet they choose to throw everything away. Those prostitutes…_

_What wrongs have I committed? Why am I the only one cursed with this unfortunate fate?_

_All I did was… Was…_

So Angelina set out and followed her patient. She waited outside, for the prostitute to arrive by her room. The woman turned around and saw the doctor. "Huh? _Oh_ … you're the one from 'that time'."

Without any words, Angelina inched closer to her.

"You… what—what are you going to do?" the prostitute said, backing up to her own room's door. "Stop! Don't do it!"

Angelina stabbed her, killing the prostitute as though she couldn't hear her screams of pain and fear. It was messy, with the victim's blood sputtering to the redhead's face, to which Angelina didn't mind at all.

_I hate I hate I hate I hate I hate **I hate**_

_Just like that, I operated on those prostitutes that once approached me for abortion._

_Since all of you don't want it, then I shall grant your wishes in taking it away, including your womb, happiness, life, and **everything**._

The prostitute lay lifeless on the cobblestone floor. In Angelina's right hand she had held was the prostitute's womb, and without any ounce of mercy, crushed it.

_At that time…_

Angelina kept on stabbing her, with each hit a killing blow. Then she heard someone's voice from somewhere above the scene. "Oh my, oh my. What a complete job you have done. I have been observing you."

_The death god who was covered in red smiled down at me._

He jumped down to Madame Red, inching closer. "I can totally understand your feelings. It is only right that women like them should die." He said after telling her that the death list in the area is filled to the brim, thanks to the doctor.

"Like you, I also want a child, but I can't fulfill my wish because I'm a guy. We actually share the same fate. Allow me to assist you." He said, caressing Angelina's bloodstained hair.

_I cut away my red hair that was stained with blood._

_Several months later, my missing nephew suddenly appeared._

_Together with a butler cloaked in black._

_Even though I persistently asked him what happened during the time that he was missing, my nephew refuses to tell me anything. However, I didn't mind. As long as Ciel returns, that's enough._

_The only one who has come came back is my beloved… the one who resembled my sister so much… the child of my sister and 'that person'._

_By right, I should be happy that Ciel came back. But my heart feels uneasy. This child is obviously back. But… why isn't 'that person' back? Why is this child alive but 'that person' dead?_

_The child of 'that person'… my sister's child… the one who snatched 'that person' away from my side… why can't the person who becomes one with 'that person' be **me**?_

_Thereafter, Ciel who has inherited the job of 'that person' finally came to nab Jack the Ripper; with the same look and appearance of that of my sister._

_Sister, what else are you trying to take away from me?_

**_This time around, I will not give way._ **

* * *

Tearing a piece of her clothes, Amelia wrapped it around her stab wound courtesy of her now dead Aunt. She felt a sense of pity and heartbreaking loneliness inside of her own heart upon watching Madame Red's 'flashback'.

At the same time, there's anger for what Grell had done.

"I love the way that you are being dyed by the red blood spurting out, Madame Red!" Grell said cruelly, as the films started to fade away. "I am not interested in the _you_ who got carried away by meaningless emotions."

The cousins had watched with wide eyes the way their aunt had fallen to the ground—red all over red.

"I helped you create alibis; just for _you_ , I broke the rules of the Death Gods and even helped you kill those women not in the death list. You have disappointed me!"

Grell stepped closer to Madame Red's corpse, looking down on her with disgust, as though the woman was nothing but dirt. "In the end, you're no different from the ordinary woman! You are not fit to wear red!" at this, Grell snatched the iconic, and ever-wonderful red coat and wore it on his/her/it's self.

"The curtains of this cheap, theatre act of your life fall now! Goodbye, Madame!" Grell made a move to leave, passing by Sebastian. Ciel knelt on his knee, eyes cast downwards, and raised a palm to shut the eyelids of his dead aunt.

"Sebastian, what are you doing? Like I said, take down Jack the Ripper! It's not over yet! Do not hesitate! Hurry up and finish him!"

Amelia looked at Sebastian's reaction, since the butler seemed surprised by Ciel's sudden outburst. And that's when she remembered that the demon was injured. And so was herself.

Sebastian smirked in an eerie way before muttering his usual phrase, " _Yes, My Lord_."

Amelia wobbly stood up, then brushed the dirt off her clothes. "Very well then, as a Midford, I have failed in protecting someone dear to me," she paused, sighing and clutching onto her stab wound. She knew the blood was still coming out, but she didn't want to stop even if she knows she should.

Walking closer to where Sebastian stood, the brunette tightened the newly-made bandage around her waist. "Let me fight alongside you." The butler only spared her a glance, and decided against speaking into telling her to stay put beside Ciel after seeing the determination in her eyes. The demon decided to observe her for this whole moment and see how and what she would do.

Grell stopped in his/her/its tracks, chuckling for a bit. "I actually wanted to let you off since I lost the momentum. However, since the three of you love to die so much…" the Death God paused, swishing his Death Scythe around, making Sebastian duck under it and Amelia jump up. Even the human herself was surprised with how she did that, and she tried not to think that Sebastian helped her do it.

"I shall send all of you to Heaven!"

Amelia lightly stepped on Sebastian's good shoulder, using it as a boost so she could stay longer in the air. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins as she kicked the back of Grell's head in the hardest way possible, grabbed hold of his/her/its hair, and pulled it. The Death God flinched, earning a smirk from the injured human lady upon landing on the other side. She wobbled, and felt the soft red strands of hair fall from between her fingers.

Gliding back, Sebastian got one of the crates and kicked it, towards Grell. "Heaven? I have no affinity with that place!"

Said Death God used his/her/its freaking chainsaw, crashing the crate to a thousand pieces. "I'm in a bad mood right now! I won't go easy on you, especially since _you_ kicked my head!" Grell referred to Amelia, and turned to look at the human. "Haven't I injured you enough? You really want to follow your Aunt so soon?"

Grell threatened, about to hurl his/her/its scythe at the brunette but Sebastian stepped on it, catching Grell's attention.

It's funny how Grell reacted when Sebastian almost hit his/her/its majestic face when the butler aimed to kick him/her/it.

"Wait a moment! You aimed for my face on purpose! That inhuman bitch already pulled my hair which was too much damage already from your side! Have you no mercy?"

"Why ask a demon for mercy, death god?" Amelia answered coldly which made Sebastian chuckle. "This is why humans are always better than the likes of you,"

The servant duo both earned a scowl from the Death God. "Do you really think that a demon can win over a God? And you girl, I repeat, are just a mere human. You two are no match against my Scythe!"

' _To be honest, if God had the same attitude as Grell, I prefer to be with the demon if that were the case. Hopefully though, He doesn't._ '

"A demon winning against a god? I myself do not know the answer since I have never tried that before. However, since my Master wants me to win, then I _will_ win."

With pride, Amelia grinned at the statement of the butler. She knew, at the back of her head that she was surrounded by other-worldly beings, especially Sebastian, but then again, as a co-servant of the Phantomhive family, that moment was something that mattered to her.

"I don't really know the relationship between you, the brat and the bitch, but you three complement each other well, right? It makes me jealous."

Amelia smirked, slowly inching towards Grell, whom she and Sebastian have surrounded.

"However, even if you are a demon, you will perish once you're hit by my Death God's scythe. And a mere human girl would instantly die. Aren't you scared?"

The brunette's hands found their way to her stab wound, being instantly reminded of the fresh blood still coming out of it. She decided not to intervene with the conversation, and thought of preserving what little amount of energy she has left. ' _I'll help Sebastian for as long as I can stand. After all, this is because I want to protect my cousin and avenge my aunt._ '

"Oh~ I love men who pursue the Arts, Sebas ** _-chan_** ~ I'm going to use the heels of my shoes to step on this cold, uncaring face of yours!" then Grell tried to hit Sebastian again. It looks as though these two biological men were flying, being quick and light on their movements. Since Amelia was a human, she had no other choice but to follow while on land, and ran over to where Sebastian stood after his landing.

For some reason, Sebastian was purposely dragging the duel somewhere farther from the cousins. "Mia, I suggest that you step out of this. I don't want to get you more injured and hurt than you already are," he paused.

"What do you m—?!"

"You still have to work tomorrow. So please do rest by the Young Master's side."

' _Silly me, for thinking that a demon could care._ ' Amelia rolled her eyes and sighed, and did what she was told, and shrugged off the whole death match in front of her. "Besides, he wouldn't die so easily anyway," she murmured to herself, disappointed at being forced to stand by and watch.

"Ah, _finally_ ~ it's just the Demon and the Death God!" Grell started, apparently happy that Amelia was out of sight; having wanted the butler's attention for him/her/it's self.

"If the job of the Death God is to recover all the souls of the dead," Grell began. "Then demons can be likened to pests that snatch away these souls just for the sake of devouring them! No matter how much love I put in, it won't bear fruit. It's like…"

He/She/It paused, jumping high in the air again, with Sebastian pursuing below the Death God.

"…the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet!"

The three other beings in the scene had goosebumps all over their skin. But Grell didn't really give any damn about it and continued. "You and I shall be the _only_ cast in this show! I think even Shakespeare will be in awe!" he/she/it emphasized on the word 'only'.

Underneath the bright moonlight, with the stars beautifully decorating the night sky, black and red figures went on constant clashing against each other—a clash of _death_ ; not something rather inappropriate.

And Amelia felt amused as she guarded her cousin, who showed an unreadable emotion on his face. "It's like I'm watching an impromptu," she murmured, trying to voice out her thoughts to the young earl. ' _Though it still frightens me that…_ '

"…Since that day, I became 'Sebastian'. I made a vow to the moon." The butler said, landing lithely on the edge of a building, the big bright moon behind him. Amelia stared at Sebastian and his rather, glorious appearance and for a second, she forgets about his being a demon.

"You actually swore to the moon, which makes you a dishonest man!" Grell landed a few meters from him. Upon looking at Sebastian for a time, Amelia noted that the demon's eyes had changed. His irises turned pink, and pupils turned into cat-like slits.

"You are a demon whose tainted gaze is devoid of love, accompanied by those shameless hands and lips that have the ability to stain one's soul."

"This is great! I'm having goose bumps all over my body! If I have your child, Sebas **- _chan_** , I will definitely give birth to it!"

"Grell would be successful in the field of Arts; he… well, it, nearly had my heart taken away. However, that last part… I'm sorry I couldn't cover your ears on time, Ciel."

"I don't mind," he replied. "Are you sure? Because if I had a weak stomach, minus the fact that I have a large wound, I would have puked."

It wasn't only them who was bothered, but more so, Sebastian. He frowned, appalled by the declaration of 'love'. "Can you please stop it? It's horribly disgusting."

' _Wait, so does this mean, Sebastian, or rather,_ demons _can have children?! Grell's biologically male so it's impossible but… with his… er, its' implied statement..._ '

Grell continued on with babbling and by now, Sebastian was stepping on the chainsaw, while the owner of the contraption was holding it. The Death God inched closer to Sebastian's face as though he/she/it were to kiss the demon.

But, Grell bumped their foreheads.

"Let us say our goodbyes through the means of a passionate kiss, **Sebas- _chan_**!" he/she/it raised the damn chainsaw up, "Therefore, whatever I have said to you for a thousand, no, a million times… shall end here!"

With one hit, Sebastian was covered yet again, by more blood as the chainsaw found its way to his torso, making a big diagonal line.

"Come, let me view a Cinematic Record peppered with dramatic memories!"

Amelia gasped, her hands covering her mouth by the sight. There was an unsettling feeling of either being bothered by the fact Sebastian was much more injured than before; or being giddy by the Cinematic Records about to escape from the wound on the demon's body.

' _Ah, the pain of betrayal… to know that_ he _is a demon,_ '

The cousins and the Death God waited for the upcoming drama brought about by the mysterious Sebastian's Cinematic Records.


	14. Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

Sebastian's Cinematic Records are seriously off the hook. Amelia found herself conflicted, if whether she should be laughing at Grell's reaction or at Sebastian's records. But with every laugh she made, she was reminded of the uncured pain in her bleeding stomach.

_"Ho-ho-ho~" Tanaka 'said', holding his same old teacup just sitting in one corner._

_"Waaaaah! Mister Sebastian!" Finnian wailed at the said butler, probably because he destroyed the garden again._

_"A-After adding a few cups of detergent, the bubbles just began to overflow!" Mey-rin said, as almost her whole body's covered with bubbles._

_" **Cooking is an art!** " Bard roared, his hair burnt and in an afro. With a cigar in his mouth, he was looking at Sebastian as if he wants to destroy the butler. As if destroying the kitchen wasn't enough. _

Ciel took glances at the lady beside him and decided that he should ignore her. Because for him, what was even worth laughing about at this moment? Or about anything at all? ' _Has she seriously forgotten that we just lost an Aunt? But perhaps... this is her defense mechanism?_ ' He tried not to deem her crazy as well.

"Wait! Wait! Wait a moment! Who the hell are they?! Your memories are not dramatic at all!" Grell shouted, flailing his/her/its arms. Sebastian smirked as he exhaled, holding his wounded torso. "That's because my life for the past one year has been like this. That's why they aren't ' _dramatic_ '." the butler explained, and even rolled the 'r' as he said the last word.

"And they haven't even changed or improved?" Amelia sighed exasperatedly, and considered Sebastian's patience as another, entirely inhuman aspect. Whereas, for those three servants back at home, the housekeeper thought of their imperfections as an entirely-human-to-the-bone aspect.

"Yes, Mia. A year with those three fools has always been like that despite me, having taught them everything." He replied with a look that says, ' _I-know-right-it's-annoying_ '.

Amelia snapped her fingers and smirked, "Then, I guess maybe your teaching methods—someone like you, for them—are _rusty_." she too, rolled the 'r' and got the reaction she wanted from the demon: a deadpan.

"Hey! Stop disturbing us, you bitch!"

Grell quickly made his/her/its way to Amelia, whose attention was at Sebastian and Ciel only. The brunette was too slow for a Death God; she is a human and with or without her bleeding stomach, Amelia still would have failed to avoid Grell's kick, right where her stab wound was.

Without any scream and with gritted teeth, Amelia flew a few steps back and landed on the cold and wet stone floor. And still, her concern was Ciel. She figured that Sebastian would have already rushed to his side, and now her eyes met with Grell's brightly lime-like green ones.

Amelia grinned, and spat out the blood from her mouth at the Death God. But she's already passed out, with her eyes closed, and missed the chance to see how Grell had reacted.

" ** _Ugh!_** Well, with that pest out, it's time for you to show me more! I demand some interesting things!" he/she/it turned to face Sebastian who, was instantly behind him/her/it.

"It's a pity, but you will need to pay to view the rest of them. Now, for nearly killing the Young Master's cousin," Sebastian pulled his gloves tight and cracked his neck and knuckles, with a small build-up of rage inside him. 

* * *

"My apologies, I let the other one escape." Sebastian said, a hand over his chest after William had dragged Grell away. "Forget it. It's not… important anymore." Ciel sighed, looking down on his dead aunt on the cold stone floor.

Sebastian felt his Young Master's cheeks with his blood-covered gloved hand, "Your body's cold. Let's quickly make our way back to the city's mansion. As I promised, I will prepare some hot milk for you." He said with a smile.

"I guess you are right. What about…" Ciel turned to look at Amelia who was a few steps behind them. "Is she too…?" Ciel paused, silently hoping his cousin's not gone too.

"Do not fret, Young Master. She's alive, only unconscious and weak after losing such an amount of blood." Sebastian began his duty as a typical butler as he checked and made sure Ciel was fine. "Although, I must say, Mia's quite strong to have been able to withstand for a long time—longer  than what I've expected—even as she continuously lost blood." Sebastian commented as Ciel tried to stand up, but led to him almost falling face-first.

Sebastian quickly caught him but the young earl just slapped his hand away. "There's no need for you to support me, I can stand on my own." Ciel took a few steps forward, lowering his head.

"I just feel… a little tired, that's all. Let's go, get Thea—I mean, Mia, and have her wounds treated. The police would soon find Madame Red's body anyway."

Sebastian then went on to carry Amelia's body and they went back to the city mansion. After lying the housekeeper's bloody body down on her bed, he provided a bit of first aid. "Ah yes, the Master's hot milk shall come first, as long as her heart beats then I have nothing to worry about." The demon murmured to himself and he paused midway through his trip to the kitchen. ' _Worrying about a human—_ me— _ah, it's because I am starving, is all,_ ' Sebastian then, fulfilled his promise of making hot milk for Ciel and threw away any other intruding thoughts. 

"What do you plan to do, now that Mia knows what you really are?" Ciel asked his butler, who was standing near the edge of his bed. It took Sebastian a bit of time to properly answer him. 

"In all honesty My Lord, Amelia is one of the very few humans who I have sought an interest in. And from what I have known about her so far, I am quite unsure of whatever it is that I must do." Sebastian answered rather bluntly, earning a scowl from Ciel.

"Are you not satisfied with my answer?"

Ciel's silence and glaring continued, which made the demon sigh. "Unsure whether you will kill her now, or have her soul after you have mine; is that it?" He drinks some milk, awaiting the butler's answer. 

"I believe so—as I said, I have yet to decide. But it all depends on her," he pauses and crosses his arms before continuing. "There are times when her reactions are a bit unpredictable. There is _one thing_ though, which makes me truly interested in her. And that is, the fact that I have yet to find out what it really is that gives me an unexplainable sort of feeling towards your cousin."

Sebastian confessed and saw that Ciel raised a single brow before finishing the rest of the hot milk. Everything he said was to be trusted, because he vowed to never lie to the young Phantomhive.

"The bottom line, My Lord, is that she is an interesting human; much like someone I have known for the past two years." Sebastian replied with a small, sly smile making its way to his face; a little teasing as revenge for making him confess and talk for a while. 

Ciel placed the cup down after drinking its sweet and yummy contents, acting nonchalant over the fact the he was the one being referred to. "' _Interesting_ '? That's a first for a demon like you to brand a human—especially a woman—who is not me. I'll be looking forward to more of this." He then proceeded to lie down after wiping his lips with the napkin on the tray. Sebastian stepped closer and tucked him in his soft blankets.

"Just make sure her wounds heal. I'm dead tired already." Ciel turned, hugging his pillow in the process as Sebastian blew out the candles, letting the moon's rays penetrate the darkness.

"Understood, Young Master." Sebastian made his way outside into the darkness of the mansion and went his way to Amelia's bedroom, about to 'follow his master's orders'. A small mischievous smirk made its way to the butler's lips, already thinking of possible scenarios that could occur once the housekeeper regains consciousness. 

* * *

_A few days later…_

Amelia was still in bed, fast asleep. She stirred, and felt that with every miniscule movement she makes, it would only cause her pain. And this woke her up in the most terrible way possible.

She was still lying on her back with her eyes wide open and awake. There were still hints of dizziness in her head as she tried to look around with as much as her eyes can give her.

"Ah, I'm in my room. That's one good thing," then she tried to lift an arm and found that she was mostly covered in bandages. She looked down, raised the blanket and was pleased to see that her stab wound has been taken care of. "I feel like a mummy from Egypt." She realized, and didn't want to see herself in front of a mirror at the moment.

"Who on earth would…" then there, the door opened welcoming a man clad in black, looking handsome as ever—the demon butler.

Amelia would have spared him even a small smile, if only she wasn't reminded of the recently discovered fact that Sebastian was for real, a demon.

' _Yeah, he's a demon who feasts on souls of human beings, a human just like my cute little cousin Ciel. This bastard._ '

"Good morning, Mia."

Her forest green eyes looked at the clock standing in one corner of her room. "It's afternoon, is it not? If so, then why are you here? What do you—!" she held a curse and a scream in, from escaping her lips, as she tried to get herself sit upright. Amelia winced in pain as memories of her Red Aunt who was the cause of the annoyances she was experiencing right now, flooded her mind.

She gasped again, realizing that _that_ aunt too, was dead. Killed.

"I'm checking on you since I was asked by the Young Master to make sure your wounds heal so you'd go back to normal. And it seems your wounds are worse than what I have expected, so don't move too much yet." He replied with that annoying version of his smile. Sebastian still put up his perfect butler act, but Amelia wouldn't ever forget the truth. She was stabbed, not diagnosed with amnesia. 

"Thank you for informing me, you could have told me sooner before I tried to move." She glared at the demon who stood beside her bed. "So, you did this? All of this? Not even a doctor?" the housekeeper pointed a finger to herself which was really, mostly covered up in bandages.

Sebastian rolls his eyes—a mere servant to be treated by a doctor? That's illogical. Nonetheless, Sebastian answers her questions. "Yes; I do believe that I possess quite an extensive knowledge about medicine." Amelia remembered she was a servant, even if she were Ciel's cousin, and regretted ever asking that. "And it's pleasing that you have finally woken up, for you made me do your work once again. It's been a year since I last did your duties." The butler added, causing the lady to scoff.

"How long has it been since… _that_ night?" Before she deals with him, the housekeeper wanted to know if Madame Red has been dealt with properly. 

He put a thumb to his chin and looked at the ceiling as if the answer was there, as if he was even _trying_ to remember. "Hm, it's been five days already. You slept for five days straight too."

" _Five_ … days? What about the… funeral?" Amelia asked and the butler nodded. She felt bad for not having been able to attend the funeral, because hey, Madame Red was the cause of it all and it hasn't even been months that she has seen her again. ' _And yet this… this_ demon _was there!_ ' It angered her that probably,  _she_ deserved to be there, more than him. 

"Now Sebastian, don't act as if I don't know something really out-of-the-ordinary about you and this world."

His smile vanished and his face looked stern. He went back to the door and locked it; the lady wanted to protest but her gut tells her to just shut up. Amelia felt powerless as she didn't know why she gulped and the hairs on her arms rose, watching the demon. The room suddenly became a bit scarier, colder and darker.

Her heartbeat increased its pace as Sebastian slowly walked his way towards the bed; his eyes were the pinkish-purple demon eyes. A gasp escaped her, so she bit her lips for her to stop giving away that instinctively, she was afraid. ' _Well, I... I lo_ _ve purple so I hope he won't be the cause of me hating it._ '

"You finally mentioned that, Amelia. I wished you hadn't, however, you're the one who's brought all this upon yourself."

Amelia grit her teeth, never breaking the eye contact she held with Sebastian.

"Shouldn't you be in fear by now? I know you are and I can feel it, since _that_ is your human nature." To the brunette, she felt herself so weak and vulnerable. She was made aware of the fact that she could be killed by him without even breaking a sweat, that he could crush her if he wished to, with just a snap of his fingers.

"You're right, I did bring this upon myself for following you and Ciel that night. Either way, I am quite sure that I would have known: I am smarter than those three idiots, Sebastian. A mere human cannot singlehandedly kill hundreds of Azzuro's men without so much as a scratch; let alone get to the East End in less than a few hours."

She sighs, "Well, I have long since forgotten the reason why I didn't head to bed as what you've told me to do. I just knew that I had to be there, and I felt it." Amelia began, trying to push aside the arising panic. Her fingers fiddled with the blanket covering her lower body, thinking of what to say next. She knew her opinions was to be heard, and she aimed at nothing but transparency and the truth. 

"But that was not the case, Sebastian; and if—no— _since_ you are a demon, surely you knew that I was already there: _you can sense my presence_ because of what you really are."

' _That is the problem; there are times that I just cannot simply sense_ your _presence_ _._ ' The butler narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself.

Sebastian then, slowly moves to close the distance between them. "And your point is?" he paused to chuckle humorlessly, "I have never shown a human who has knowledge of this truth with this much patience and consideration, Amelia. Ah, consider yourself 'blessed'."

The brunette smirked despite the trickle of sweat from the side of her face, "Why must a human feel blessed by a demon's mercy? Also, as what I have told Grell, why must _any_ being ask mercy from the likes of you?"

Sebastian bared his fangs, and Amelia's instincts were begging for her to run. But her own mind knew she couldn't, and that she would have to go against him head-on. ' _I have faced death a lot of times already that it doesn't scare me anymore. However, I still have one last thing to do before I depart and—?_ ' her thoughts were cut off by Sebastian speaking.

"Anything else you'd like to add?" the demon's voice began to become deeper, and much more menacing.

"Why did you do it, Sebastian? Why Ciel of all humans?" she mustered up enough strength to gulp down all fear to the pit of her still-healing stomach. Her eyes never left Sebastian's as she waited for his answer.

He chuckled as reply, a throaty kind of chuckle, like she was so stupid to not notice the obvious answer. "I was _summoned_ and during _that_ time, I was the only demon around. I'm sure with just that, you'd be able to understand now, wouldn't you? That it wasn't entirely _my_ doing."

Amelia slowly nodded her head, as her mind began to process the answer. Lucky for her that she was already insane, or else her mind would've shut down.

"So, are you afraid of me?"

The question caught the housekeeper off-guard. Her eyes widened a bit, upon not realizing that Sebastian had already crawled on top of her, with both his hands at each side of her head. She was leaning on the headboard, trying to make more space between them, as Sebastian leaned closer to Amelia.

"You are, are you not?"

"Why on earth would I fear you, Sebastian?" She paused, clenching her fists which earned her a raised brow from him.

"Truthfully, I feel that if I had died during the time I ran away, I would havee met you in Hell." A ghost of a smirk was on her lips which turned down quickly in a frown. "But I am a little bit irritated because one, what you're _saying_ right now is making me lose my temper; two, aside from the fact that you're a demon waiting for Ciel's soul, what you're _doing_ right now is annoying; lastly, you won't get the bloody hell off me!"

Amelia tried to push Sebastian away, but he was too strong for her. Even if she were a lot more healthier and healed, the demon wouldn't budge. Although the brunette had no desire of seeing Sebastian as an attractive person, her hands had felt how muscular he truly was and honestly, anyone put in that situation would most likely find the demon seductive.

"You truly are very _amusing_! This is the first time in ages that I have met one." He said then chuckled again, and the housekeeper didn't know how to react to whatever that would mean.

"Sebastian please, just get off of me, I swear I'll hit you." I started to warn him, I'm serious about this.

"Are you even strong enough to do even just a little damage?"

The two's noses could almost touch, and the housekeeper has had enough of this nonsense. Amelia Midford has reached the peak of her temper. Once a Midford is triggered, things could go bad for the one that triggers them. 

"Well, maybe to your _oh-so-handsome_ face, yes!"

Without thinking much about it, she just slapped him hard. Right in his face, with a little scratch from her uncut nails and eventually, kicked Sebastian's tallywags.

' _He's a demon but I do hope that still, even in human form he'd feel pain from_ that.' She finally got to push him off upon seeing the demon wavering. At least, she got a bit of a reaction from him.

"Look, I'm fine with you being a _demon_ , alright? Your and Ciel's secret is safe with me, and this is a secret I will carry to my grave. Well, the both of you kept mine, so I should return the favor. I may be human, but not stupid enough to even think of exposing something so confidential."

Sebastian glared at her for a while, for what she's done and for what he was about to say.

"It should really be kept or else, once I find out that this information is leaked, I would have no other choice but to kill you no matter what,  _in whatever way I want to_. Understood?" Sebastian placed a gloved hand on the side of his face that had a red hand-shaped mark and some pinkish scratches, and wiped it away for good.

Amelia scoffed and murmured, "Show off,"

"I repeat, for the last time, do you understand that your life is on the line?"

"Yes, I do understand. Anyway, it has always been like a life-death situation for me. I mean, nearly my whole life has been spent that way, in case you're wondering."

Then he proceeded with removing some of the lady's bandages on her arms and legs and put her words to mind, intrigued. The two just stayed there in silence as he attended to her wounds.

"Can't your quick-healing effect work on humans?" she said silently, just to avoid the growing awkwardness.

He stood up without answering the inquiry and fake-smiled at the clean job he has done on Amelia's wounds. He did his close-eyed smile before speaking, "I shall be on my way now to do the preparations for dinner. Please, tell your wounds to heal faster so you won't have to be attended to, by yours truly."

Sebastian turned around towards the door when Amelia decided to tease him, "Why, need my help that much, you one _hell_ of a butler?" she chuckled, to which he answered, "Not quite, however another pair of slightly helpful hands is much desirable than those three fools."

He smirked triumphantly at Amelia, and the latter rolled her eyes. "At least give me something to eat, _butler_."

"Good night, Mia."

Sebastian closed the door and left the brunette to herself. She stared out the window for a while, thinking of everything that she's found out.

"Ah, but it bothers me more that Sebastian is a demon, than the fact that my Aunt is dead," she paused and stared at her still healing body and sighed. "For a moment, I didn't even think that I was in pain, thanks to Sebastian's constant 'threatening'. That bastard."

She tried to reach for the music box without wincing as much, and continued to talk to herself. "W-Well… Auntie Ann is not… technically not... my—ah!" Amelia sighed at the pain; whether it was physical or emotional, she didn't bother knowing.

' _Mia, not now, not now… consider this as your third life, or something…_ ' she stared down at the key and the music box.

"I better concentrate on healing then. Butler's orders."

She might not admit it to herself, but as she listened to the soothing tune and tried to rest once again with her eyes closed, Amelia had thought of what other secrets the master-butler duo still have kept from her.

And the fact, that Madame Red had known about her true identity.


	15. Such Dog, Very Hound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"A trip? In this season?"

Ciel put down his teacup after sipping some of its contents. "Sebastian, do you know of a pastime called 'bear baiting'?" he asked. "The phrase has a most fun and pleasant ring to it. The truth, however, is quite different." Sebastian answered, lowering his head for a bit with a smirk.

"The bears are tied up, whipped and have packs of wild dogs set upon them until, finally, they are killed." Ciel continued to explain. "That is so incredibly like humans." This time, a mocking smile etched on the butler's face as he continued standing straight in front of his master's desk.

"It was banned under the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835." Ciel paused, and continued. "However, a loophole remained. If the bullying dogs were not goaded, what would happen?" He asked, raising his spoon to take a bite of the delicious cake. His butler responded, with a thumb to the chin, "It would become a case of one animal baiting another; animal bullying, so to speak."

"There is a village where they do that: _Houndsworth_. It's famous for raising hunting dogs. However, beneath that, it has another side." Ciel took another bite from the said cake, further explaining that the dogs are the ones tied up, and packs of dogs would be the one to kill them too.

"These wrenches at Her Majesty's heart, therefore we are to investigate this village under the pretext of making it her resort. That is the true goal of this trip." Ciel concluded, intertwining his fingers together.

"A village of dogs, you say?" Sebastian paused, putting a hand on his chest and continued, "It was just that I had believed that securing a resort location was somewhat, beneath you, Young Master."

"There is something; a reason why I, the Phantomhive, must be the one to go to this Houndsworth Village."

* * *

" _Resort! Resort! We're on cloud nine! Resort! Resort! We're on cloud nine!_ " those three servants sang in unison as they rode on a carriage to a ' _resort'_ ; well, soon-to-be. Little did they know that their housekeeper, Amelia, had long since awoken from her slumber on Mey-rin's lap due to them being unable to hide their eagerness.

"It's amazing, isn't it Mey-rin? Doesn't it move you?" Finnian told the said maid in a loud, but extremely happy tone. "It truly does!" she paused then added, "To think that we'd be taken along to Her Majesty's own resort!"

"Our Young Master definitely has his good side too." Bardroy concluded, with the other two nodding like children. Amelia rolled her eyes beneath closed lids and thought, ' _It would be problematic if you three got left behind the mansion, and ended up destroying it._ '

The horses neighed as their reigns were pulled by Sebastian for them to be halted and announced, "This is the village entrance." By this time, Amelia already started to ' _wake up'_  from her short ' _slumber'_  and looked out to see the village along with the other three.

But the next thing they saw, well, it just doesn't give the vibe of something fun and a thing such as a resort would only be in one's dreams.

It was foggy, the scary kind of foggy. There were creepy looking trees with rusty dog collars with small spikes, hanging and chained on its branches. Then on the ground, near the roots were bones, skulls of dead dogs. The sign that says, 'Welcome to Houndsworth' didn't look as welcoming as it was intended to be.

"Are we going to a graveyard or something? I thought it was a ' _resort'_?" the housekeeper murmured, rubbing her eyes.

The three ended up screaming in shock and fear at the sight of these. Their screams surprised the housekeeper more than the sight before her, making her lose balance and land on her butt, "Calm down, you three!"

True enough, it's kind of surprising to see those when their Young Master said it's Her Majesty's resort. "I forgot to mention it, but this is the planned construction site for the resort."

Amelia sighed and averted her eyes, motioning for the other servants to relax and just sit down.

"Young Master…" the three said in unison, few tears streaming down their faces, evident with a little disappointment. Amelia's slight annoyance faded with the look on the stooges' faces.

"Ho-ho~" But of course, dear Tanaka is still the best among all of them in her opinion.

A wave of silence followed as they continued their way towards the village. Amelia was about to stand up and yell at the butler to ask how far more do they all have to sit, until Finnian beat her to it. "Yay! First villager spotted! Mister Tanaka, please stop for a moment!" Finnian asked of the old house steward.

Well, obviously it was a lady since she was wearing a faded purple dress and something that looked like a shawl over her head and it seems that her baby's carriage was kind of stuck in the dirt road. So, Finnian the kindhearted and extremely innocent gardener jumped off and attempted to help.

"W-Wait, hey Finni—!" the housekeeper tried to stop him, but was cut off by the blond's voice. "I'll help you, Miss." He said eagerly. Mey-rin then warned him in a much louder tone of voice than their superior, "Y-You shouldn't do that, Finny! If you're not careful, the baby inside will be hu—!" the maid was cut off, when the gardener just effortlessly lifted the baby carriage up, like literally over his head, as if it were made out of paper.

It took him a while to realize what he's done but, looking at the old lady, she doesn't seem fazed or even worried about the child's well-being. "I'm so sorry!" Finnian yelled, as he recklessly put the said carriage down.

Amelia furrowed her brows and doubted the existence of a baby inside it.

Mey-rin and Bardroy sweat-dropped as they both looked down to see if the baby was fine however, they just ended up with their jaws hanging down at a loss for comprehensible words. Amelia clucked her tongue and quickly followed after them, "Hey you three, come on. Let's just—!?"

Her green eyes landed on the dog skull wrapped in cloth and cringed. Boy, was she right in assuming there was no baby in there. 

"You know, this little one was eaten by  _that_." The old lady murmurs, as she grabs the handle. "Uhm, M-Miss…" the housekeeper tried to ask her what she meant, but the weird old lady continued ahead, pushing that baby carriage as she chanted something unfamiliar to the foreigners of the village.

"E-Eaten?" Bardroy and Finnian said in horror and disgust as they watched her walk away.

" _The small white-haired dog is a good dog. The black dog is a bad, disobedient dog._   _It'll eat you down to the bone_."

Amelia shook her head upon realizing that they were slowing the progress of the travel. "Everyone, just please for the nth time, sit down so we could get moving." she asked of the three who were left there, staring at the disappearing figure of the old woman.

The housekeeper got off the servant carriage and rushed to Ciel's own. "Miss Mia, where are you—?" Mey-rin asked and the brunette who was already halfway towards the Phantomhive earl's carriage. She stopped momentarily to look back at the maid, only to point a finger at Ciel.

"But that is—!"

Amelia cut her off with a hand raised and, "Trust me, it's going to be fine. Now sit down and enough causing a ruckus." She could feel Mey-rin's eyes on her back as she sat beside Ciel in his carriage.

"Good day to you Ciel!" Amelia greeted her cousin with a grin plastered on her face. "Hey, Mia, go back to where you should be!" Ciel said with a scowl on his face. Amelia frowned, "Aw, too bad. I always thought your conversations seem to be more interesting than those other three could offer. And besides, I'm  _out-of-place_  there too. We share our own secrets, remember?" the brunette teases him with a smirk as Sebastian glared at the human lady.

"If you're going to stay here, better sit next to him." He pointed at Sebastian with his cane and Amelia looked at the butler then back at Ciel. Groaning, she obliged nonetheless. "Fine then, if that's all it would take. Thank you!" she followed what was told of her and went to where Sebastian was and sat next to him.

"What did those three do to you?" After continuing his job of making the carriage move again, Sebastian asked the housekeeper while looking at Amelia from head to toe—as if the human grew another head.

"I got bored okay? You won't like it if I stay bored for an utterly long time, you can ask Ciel. He knows how different I could get." The lady gave him a thumbs-up, and moments later, she found herself enjoying the tranquility the two males offered; unlike the other servants whose energies were filled to the brim. 

A nice big lake could be seen minutes later and from there, the main, dynamic duo of the Phantomhive household can hear the stooges' excitement firing up once more.

"Now _that's_ more like it!" Bardroy exclaimed.

Upon entering the village proper, they passed by houses and  witnessed that there were some noisy, growling pack of dogs in a cage. A man who looked like their owner acted as though he were training them.

Amelia groaned which quickly caught Sebastian's attention. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Nothing, really. I have no qualms with having dogs around,  for they can be cute and friendly but… if they act like they're going to eat me?" she crossed her arms and stared ahead. "Is that so?" he mumbled and the lady nodded. "Bending their wills through a carrot-and-stick approach instills obedience in them. Such a wonderful scene, isn't it?" Sebastian sort of added, after seeing the way the man coddled his dog.

Sebastian continued while Amelia looked around and saw the villagers were mostly men, with pitchforks and things of that sort. "However, the dogs themselves are also to blame, doing everything they can to court humans, and gladly accepting a collar around their neck: it is completely an unfathomable concept to me."

The cousins looked up at him, both of them sensing Sebastian's annoyance. "If you have something you want to say, just spill it." The master demanded of his butler.

"Well then, heeding your words, I shall. While I am quite a cat person, _I do not like dogs_. Actually, _I detest them_." He finally answered, forcing a smile while looking back at Ciel.

"Quite a passionate way of expressing your hatred towards dogs, Sebastian." Amelia commented with a smirk as she twirled a loose strand of her hair. "Ah, which reminds me. I'm certain you remember that feline you found during that night of ' _Jack the Ripper_ '; too bad you couldn't bring the cat home,"

"Don't give him any ideas, Mia. Besides, having a cat in the manor will be a great distraction. And a distracted butler _like him_ is on the bottom of my priorities list."

"Why so? Scared he'd save the cat first before you?"

Sebastian looked at Amelia sternly, "Yes, I do love cats but the contract  _still comes first_. I thought  _you_ of all people would understand."

The brunette narrowed her eyes at the demon. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me how _dutiful_ you are as a butler… just like a dog."

Ciel's eye widened and he smirked playfully, siding with Amelia this time in taunting the butler.

" _Woof_."

Amelia looked at her cousin and snickered. If looks could kill, the housekeeper would have long been incinerated by Sebastian's fiery stare. She was aware of this and scoffed, "Haven't I made it clear that  _you don't scare me_? But hey, what I said was meant to be a joke. You know I'm a very nice person, Sebastian. Now let's just talk about your cat preference,"

* * *

"Would you be the Phantomhive party?"

Amelia looked over Sebastian's shoulder as they halted, and a maid, wearing a purple uniform and a white apron stood there. She had an innocent-looking face, bluish-white wavy hair that ends at her nape and dark purple eyes. The housekeeper nodded, satisfied to see that her favorite colors were adorning the pure-looking maid.

"Yes, we are." Sebastian answered and the said maid bowed down.

"Welcome to Barrymore Castle. The Master is awaiting your arrival." She then stood straight and smiled at them. Amelia noted that the butler seemed to be glaring at the servant, despite her seemingly serene and pleasing vibe. ' _Was he still pissed with what we said… or…?_ '

The four other servants began carrying their luggage and unloaded the carriage. Ciel ordered Amelia to go with him and Sebastian as the maid, Angela, led the way towards Lord Barrymore.

"This way, please." She said, opening a door. The room was filled with stag heads, swords and things of that sort. The cracking of a whip made the trio snap out of looking at the room's decors and then they found Angela on the floor being hit by Lord Barrymore.

"What's with this little Chihuahua? I was told to welcome the Queen's envoy!" the ugly man yelled, referring to the Phantomhive earl as a mere dog breed.

"Angela, are you not even capable of something as simple as that?" the poor maid was just there, too weak to fight back; though she seemed to be either crying or whining.

"Sebastian!" then the butler immediately held the man's hand to stop him from whipping Angela again. "What are you doing, you Doberman? Are you trying to bite back at me? Let me go, you!"

Amelia's eye twitched at Barrymore's way of branding people, as she made her way to Angela's side to help her stand up. "Th-thank you, Miss Amelia." she gave the maid a small smile and then, Barrymore yelled once more. "And you, you Golden Retriever! I'm not yet done with her!"

" _I_ was the one who ordered him!" Ciel told Barrymore which caught the man's attention. "I'm assuming the letter was delivered. I am Ciel Phantomhive." The young lord spoke as he sat down and put his cane on the table.

Sebastian let go of Barrymore's wrist, and the latter questioned again. "Are you saying this little Toy Poodle is the Queen's envoy?"

"Are smaller dogs not acceptable to you, Lord Henry?"

When everyone has finally calmed down, Angela prepared some tea for the two noblemen. Noticing that she was shaking, as she attempted to pour them a cup, "I shall take care of this," Amelia whispered to her and she gave the brunette space to do it.

"This isn't even worth discussing." Barrymore dropped the small stack of papers that was given to him to read, regarding the resort, and then crossed his arms, frowning. "No matter what you propose, I am not willing to sell."

Ciel demanded quickly, "State your reason."

"The  _curse_."


	16. Just Keep Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"The  _curse_?"

"In this village, where man and dog have lived together since antiquity, there is a curse to those who would try to get their paws on it; a fearsome hex." Henry Barrymore stood up, and added, "Even if it were the Queen herself, that would not change."

"A terrible fate will befall anyone who tries to go against the Barrymore family in this village!" he threatened Ciel in a spiteful way, to which the young earl just answered with a smirk, " _Oh_? How interesting."

" _What_?" Barrymore said in a low, slightly growling voice. What a  _dog_.

"In that case, I shall remain here as long as it takes to witness this terrible fate  _firsthand_." Ciel looked up at the man across him, the smirk still in place. Barrymore stared down at him in return, gritting his teeth in anger and annoyance.

Amelia then went downstairs with Angela after they were dismissed. They joined the other three and Tanaka in the servants' room where they all sat together, taking a rest from the long hours of travelling. 

"So, you're the only maid in this entire household?" Bardroy asked.

"That's amazing! I truly respect you, Miss Angela, yes!" The Phantomhive maid said, clutching her hands together.

"I am nothing so grand; I do nothing but make mistakes." Angela humbly said, looking down, feeling a little flattered, obviously.

"If there is anything we can help you with, please let us know. Since we're all servants, let's get along. Right, Finny?" Mey-rin says with a bright smile on her face, and the gardener beamed as he nodded. Amelia let out a small smile of her own as she looked at her co-workers that are also her friends. ' _Even if they are a nuisance at times, these people have the purest hearts._ '

"How kind you all are." Angela comments in a gentle voice as her own way of thanking them, probably. The brunette housekeeper watches the maid from the corners of her eyes, scrutinizing Angela, when suddenly, the bell rang, which led it to Lord Barrymore's bedroom.

Angela immediately stood up and bowed. "Pardon me, the Master is calling for me, so I will have to take my leave." She spun around once and made her way outside, her skirts flowing with every move.

Amelia just stared at her retreating figure in a bored manner, while also taking notice of Finnian's blushing face.

* * *

"Enter." Ciel permitted the person knocking at the door of the guestroom.

"I am sorry to disturb you so late at night," Angela said after opening the door and letting herself in, bowing her head.

"The Young Master was just preparing to sleep," Sebastian kind of glared at her, who was currently tidying up his master's clothes in a wooden closet.

"I hope you excuse my behavior, but I only have a request. And that is for you to please, withdraw from this village. You must not stay here for too long! It is for your own good as well!" Angela pleaded, her hands clasped together as Ciel continued to read a book, maintaining a bored expression on his face.

"Why?"

"That is—!" suddenly, a loud howl was heard which caused the maid to gasp and to shiver in fear. "No! It's come! The Devil Dog has…!"

At this, Ciel stood up from his seat, placing his book down and looked at her, " _Devil Dog_?"

A high-pitched scream was then heard from Angela as she saw a silhouette of a large dog's head through the curtains. The two men then turned to look at it, "Sebastian," and the said butler quickly made his way toward the window and drew the curtains, only to reveal the dark night sky and a Devil Dog not present there.

Ciel stood beside Sebastian, confused as to why there was no such 'Devil Dog' spotted. "Young Master, look."

The sight of green, glittery footprints was what they saw down below, on the dirt pathway, a trail left behind and caused by the so-called ' _Devil Dog_ '.

Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, a certain housekeeper deadpanned as she lied on the bed. "Great, there goes my perfect sleep." she muttered.

' _I swear there's something about Angela that irks me, though I did not notice it at first. I hope it ends soon…_ '

She, along with the other members of the Phantomhive Household, hurried and saw that their master, with his butler and the Barrymore maid, were all standing outside.

At first, Amelia thought Barrymore would be first to arrive than  _all of them_.

"Young Master!"

"Miss Angela!"

"Just what is the entire ruckus about?"

"The Devil Dog appeared." Angela declared, answering Bardroy's question.

"Devil Dog?" the three said simultaneously.

Amelia took a breath and made her way closer to where Ciel was and saw the green, sparkly trail. "What is this…?" she went down, crouching beside the demon butler to examine it and have a closer look. Sebastian whispered to her, "It was caused by the 'Devil Dog' that Miss Angela was saying." The lady nodded while they continued to listen to Angela.

"The one that will bring disaster to the village. Those who have disobeyed their master will be punished by the Devil Dog. That is one of the laws of this village."

At this, the other three, gripped what they could: Bardroy tightening his hug on the pillow he brought with him while Mey-rin and Finnian clasped their hands tighter.

"Miss Angela, please inform Lord Barrymore that Lord Devil Dog has appeared." Someone speaks from the small group of villagers that suddenly arrived, with their torches and pitchforks lit.

Amelia sensed something fishy in a dog-filled place, and she felt that the demon butler shares the same feeling.

Angela gasped at the message, "Who was punished?"

Thus they were quickly led to the arena, no longer waiting for Barrymore, and there they saw the most brutal thing ever.

It was the same guy that they saw upon entering the village. It was the man who was training his dog. Bite marks, bruises and of course a lot of blood was seen on him. His clothes were also, obviously bitten off. He looked like he was ravished by a bear rather than a simple pet dog.

Ciel bent down to inspect the guy until a certain someone's voice yelled at him in reprimand, "Don't touch him!" Barrymore shouted, catching everyone's attention.

His eyes left Ciel and flickered over to the corpse. "So, the  _bad dog_  was James?"

' _Wait, what, bad dog? Did he just call this_ dead human _a bad dog?_ ' the housekeeper clenched her fists in annoyance at the late appearance of their host and simply at his way of speaking and his way of existing. 

"Yes, he broke the rule of having five dogs per person. It seems he was keeping a sixth." A villager answered, informing Barrymore of what James had done so horridly that taking his life was necessary. "I see, and then I suppose there was no helping it." 

Bardroy frowned and reacted, " _No helping it_? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Barrymore clenched his fists before answering, "This village has rules set down by myself. Those who break the rules will be punished by the Devil Dog that serves the Barrymore family!"

The townspeople suddenly sang the chant the old woman sung earlier that day.

" _As the cat meows, as the cat meows, the small white-haired dog is a good dog; the black dog is a bad disobedient dog, as the cat meows, the day falls,_ " they got a stretcher and carried James' dead body and hurried off, still chanting.

They all watched them leave, and Barrymore stated, "I was sure it would be an  _outsider_  who fell prey, but it seems you were spared." He glared back at his own guests before he and Angela followed the village people.

* * *

The following morning, the usual enthusiasm from the Phantomhive servants was nonexistent. The stooges, plus Amelia sat together in the servants' area.

"It's turned out to be a terrible trip, aye?" Bardroy said with his head down on his crossed arms.

The housekeeper sighed deeply, nodding in agreement, "I already told myself that this village wouldn't be to my liking ever since we laid our eyes onto that village entrance. I couldn't even sleep well last night!"

" _Indeed_." Mey-rin finished the conversation and for the first time, Finnian seemed quiet.

"What is wrong? You were all so lively on the way here." Sebastian speaks as he arrived and stood in front of them with a very mocking smile.

"'Cause… well, 'ya know…" Bardroy didn't continue what he was going to say, obviously not in the mood.

"Have you forgotten? We have come to a resort." Sebastian said, raising a picnic basket and swimsuit with both his hands, doing his usual, fake, closed-eye smile.

The three suddenly brightened up, save for Amelia who seemed a bit surprised and off they went to the  _beach_.

The two blond males were first to change into swimwear and crash in the waters. The younger one of them encouraged their lady-boss Amelia to follow in after them so her spirits could get up too.

"No, I do not wish to swim, let alone wade in there, especially in this season; nor do I wish to wear such thing." She sternly stated in refusal, brows knit together at the sight of the swimsuit that was a bit too revealing even for her standards. Without waiting for their retorts or whatnot, she marched her way towards her cousin and sat down with Ciel.

They watched Bardroy and Finnian splash water at each other. "Mey-rin, come in too!" the gardener shouted, turning to look at the changing booth, making the housekeeper chuckle. "Good luck to you, Mey-rin." She murmured.

"Are you not going to swim, Young Master?" Sebastian asked and no response was heard from Ciel. "Dearest cousin, I'd swim if you would swim. You're too young to miss all this fun," Amelia snickered, bringing out a sandwich from the basket and offers it to him. Ciel glares at her first before refusing the food. 

The butler smirked, realizing something: Ciel's swimming abilities are inexistent. "I see, of course. You are—?" he was suddenly cut off with a slightly annoyed and indifferent remark from his master.

"If you're still able to swim here in this season, it may yet have some merit as a resort."

"Are you truly thinking of making this place a resort?"

"Of course!" Ciel finished the conversation, and silence filled the air.

"How about you Mia, you're not going to swim?" Ciel asked her a few minutes after, and the latter looked at him with an incredulous look on her face. "I have no plans of getting sick,"

"If that's the case then…" Ciel looked up at Sebastian with a sly smirk, and he knew his message was conveyed all too well. The butler sighs, and Amelia was already backing away, slowly standing up.

"Are you quite sure with that, Young Master?" The butler's eyes shifted from Ciel to the brunette. 

"You dare disobey my order?"

"I do not like that smirk, Ciel. Or whatever it is you're planning. You'll regret it I te—?!"

"Understood, Young Master." The butler replied solemnly with a quick bow of his head. 

Suddenly, Amelia felt strong arms pick her up and carried her towards the changing booth where Mey-rin just came out of. "What the bloody hell, Sebastian! Put me down, I don't want to—!"

She kept struggling, even punching any part of his body that she could reach; however it was all in vain since the demon's grip on her is as tight as hell. Not heeding to the brunette's request, he asked of the Phantomhive maid, "Mey-rin, would you be so kind to put Mia in her rightful swimsuit?"

The said maid blushed and did as she were told as Sebastian threw their victim in the changing booth.

 _'Damn that bastard… oh, you'll see Sebastian, I'm seriously going to make you pay for this… and let me not forget the mastermind, my cousin Ciel!_ '

She started cursing Sebastian and Ciel in her mind as she accepted defeat, letting Mey-rin put her in a swimsuit without complaining and throwing a tantrum, lest the maid make a clumsy move in restraining her and lead to it pulling the covers of the booth while she was half naked. Also, Amelia realized that escape would be futile with a demonic wall of a butler just standing outside.

What the housekeeper wore had the same style as Mey-rin's but it was black with small, purple polka dots. "Th-there, it's okay now Miss Mia. Let's go, yes!" Mey-rin suddenly grabbed her hand and pushed the housekeeper out first. Sebastian got out of the way and she screamed as she lost her balance. The butler walks away quickly having done and fulfilled his master's order. 

The lady hit her face on the sand, catching the others' attention. Finnian went and helped her up and complimented the housekeeper, "Mia looks so cute!"

The butler suddenly stiffens at the endearing comment— Ciel didn't fail to miss this and he watches in hidden amusement—as Sebastian turns to look at them from their distance. He momentarily glared at the stupid gardener before switching over to set his sight on Amelia. The brunette was blushing lightly in embarrassment, obviously not liking what she's wearing. ' _It looks good on her, nonetheless,_ ' he comments in his mind before resuming his place, standing beside Ciel's seat. 

Despite her occasional bluntness, fierceness and witty remarks, Sebastian felt slightly amused, being reminded that Amelia was strictly raised to be a proper lady of society after all, who could get shy and conscious especially that her legs and most of her body is exposed. _That_ , and that she was in the presence of men. 

"Stop ogling my cousin," the young earl picks a book up and opens it to where he had left a dog-ear on the page. Sebastian clears his throat and decides to change the topic. "My Lord, about the Devil Dog..."

At the time, Amelia turned around to face Ciel and Sebastian after she got most of the sand off her. She sees the master-butler duo just there, talking to each other as though nothing had happened. But she guessed that those two were internally laughing, and were surely going to use this against her soon in their little teasing battles. 

"You! You two will pay for this, I swear! One day— _ah_!"

Bardroy pulled her in the water with a splash, making the lady get all wet. Her direct threat to them fell on deaf ears.

"Stop that, hey, Bard-fro!"

Amelia didn't realize that she was acting like a child already, playing with the stooges as they splattered water at each other and soon, the blush receded from her cheeks. After a long time, she finds herself laughing in genuine happiness. Besides, the water was warm enough so it didn't bother her as much. She sometimes stole glances at the two people who forced her into that and well, Ciel just kept reading his book and sometimes, Sebastian's and her eyes would meet.

The demon never took his eyes away from her after he and Ciel discussed last night's case; only when the lady steals glances in their direction does he avert them and down onto his master's book.

"I never asked, but how did she handle it?" The young earl murmurs, pertaining to his cousin. He knows his butler was intent on watching his cousin but he didn't mind. 

"If you mean the day she discovered my true nature, then I can say that Mia took it in quite well. Has she not discussed it with you?"

"No, I don't believe so. And you? How did you explain the idea of the contract?" 

Sebastian looks up again to watch the housekeeper. "Is she a firm believer of God?" He suddenly asks, catching Ciel off-guard and making him pause in reading. With a raised brow, he answers first with another question. "Why do you ask  _me_ about that? I'm not sure, but you know how Aunt Frances raises her children; however, in my opinion, Mia most likely believes in the existence of a god, but just doesn't show it." 

Sebastian hums, pondering over something, focusing only on the brunette. Ciel looked at the butler for a moment before resuming to reading.  

For an unknown reason, Amelia stood frozen upon the third time that her eyes met with Sebastian's, for he didn't look away as quickly as before and instead, he held their gaze. Amelia couldn't read his expression at all, especially since she was farther away from him. But they just stared at each other, her grinning face turning into that of curiosity.

And then Bardroy pushed her, making her slip and fall into the water; while Finnian grabbed her legs from under water and dragged her out.

Amelia was too shocked she couldn't move… or breathe.

"Oops!"

Faintly, she could hear their laughing voices as Finnian  _accidentally_  threw her to the farther side of the water, in the much deeper part. The lady's voice got stuck in her throat and she couldn't scream. A loud splash filled her ears as she started to go numb.

Oh, that's right, apparently, Amelia doesn't know how to swim. 

* * *

"Maybe she's just playing it, y'know… as payback." Bardroy scratched his head, feeling a little guilty.

"But that's too much for a human… she should be out by now, right? And since it was wet, my hands slipped..." Finnian frowned.

"I'm getting scared… where's Miss Amelia?" Mey-rin said as she pushed her glasses up a bit.

Sebastian then approached the three stooges, who suddenly stopped playing. He knew what they did, but he decides to ask anyway, "What seems to be the proble— _oh_. Where is Amelia?"

They suddenly explained the prank they pulled on the housekeeper, then stating that they lost her. They don't know where she is right now, fearing that she's _drowned_ and—

Oh.

Without the need to listen more, Sebastian rushed in the water and started to swim his way to look for Amelia.  _'Those three idiots… now where could Amelia be?_ ' the butler thought to himself, not needing to breathe underwater.

Above water, Ciel looked up from his book suddenly noticing the missing presence of his butler and the deafening silence of his servants. He spotted them there, with worried faces, and Amelia not in sight. 

"If it's him, he'll eventually find her, right?"

"What did I tell you, we shouldn't have pulled that prank on Miss Amelia, yes!"

"We're going to get punished by Mister Sebastian again…"

Completely understanding the situation, Ciel just waited there. "I was going to give him an order… those three blind mice again, really. Hurry up and find Amelia, Sebastian." Ciel put a hand on his eyepatch and from underwater, the butler smirked.

Moments later, Sebastian found Amelia's body floating about the water, her eyes half-lidded. The housekeeper felt like she was floating, her vision slightly blurred.

' _Am I on the verge of death now…? Again…? It hasn't been that long since..._ '

In her head, if she survived, she would make the stooges pay for what they've done… and her cousin… and that demon.

In her eyes, she saw a silhouette of something black from a distance. Though she tried moving her body, either to reach out to it for help or just swim away, she simply just can't.

 _'Although Sebastian's literally the last being I want to see… he_ is  _the only one who can save me now,_ '

Sebastian went towards Amelia and the latter recognized his familiar features. "Se-Sebast…" she tried to speak but he wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

The demon let out a low chuckle, murmuring something along the lines of, "tempting", "mark", and " _mine_ ".

The housekeeper couldn't care less about whatever it was that those words meant and how those related to her but all she needed right now was air and to be back on land.

The butler suddenly grabbed the back of her head and pushed her face close to his and planted a small but passionate kiss on the lady's lips. Amelia's body acted on its own, giving in and giving up, as she closed her eyes and kissed back, without even knowing why Sebastian was doing it.

But for her… it did feel kind of  _good_.

Wait, what?

She felt lightheaded either because of the lack of air or because of the kiss… or maybe because of both. Sebastian pulled away and smiled at her and the housekeeper slowly loses her consciousness.

The next thing Amelia knew, she was on land, coughing out water as she woke up. She was beside where Ciel was while the other three stooges were with Angela, eating the food in the picnic basket that Sebastian prepared.

"Those three didn't even bother checking up on me after what they've done." Amelia frowned as she looked in their direction. "They were frantic the whole time, but that alone wasn't enough for them to have avoided Sebastian's punishment," Ciel paused and followed up, "The punishment he has yet to give… since I had something for him to do."

The lady looked at the young earl this time, with furrowed brows as though she was trying to solve a puzzle in her head. "So… it was Sebastian who rescued me from drowning, right?"

"I ordered him to do so, yes," Ciel confirmed with a monotonous tone, as he flipped a page of his book.

The housekeeper nodded slowly, still remembering the underwater kiss she shared with the butler. "…I was barely conscious, so that must mean it could be just an illusion my mind made? It's unlikely…" she mumbled, shaking her head while staring at the waters that nearly consumed her life.

"What are you on about?"

"Nothing… nothing in particular," Amelia scratches the back of her head and removes the confused look on her face to replace it with a more serious one. "So, about this 'Devil Dog'; I think I might have noticed the truth behind it as well,"

" _They've caught it! The bad dog has been caught! It's James' dog! Punishment will begin soon_!" a man who stood somewhere in front of the mob of villagers yelled, and this caught the Phantomhive Household's attention. Obviously, they—the whole village—were all headed to the arena.

The distant ringing of the big bell must have been the sign for the said 'punishment' and their leisure time at the beach was cut short. After returning to the castle to tidy up, they all started to make their way towards the arena to watch.


	17. Doggie's Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

Making their way towards the arena, the housekeeper decided to focus on the situation at hand instead of what she just experienced underwater, a few moments ago. Their group stood at the back of the ' _audience_ ' and there they saw the same old dog that was trained by James, tightly leashed to the wall.

Barrymore was in front, with five men behind him holding five other dogs that looked like they were ready to chomp off James' dog. "The bad dog is chewing something! Make it spit it out!" said one guy, and then another went near James' dog and started hitting it. "Let it go, you bad dog!"

Amelia found herself frowning at this cruelty and clucked her tongue in dismay. "They're even worse than demons,"

Everyone in the arena watched as the dog was being beat by the man there, since the dog just won't spit out whatever he was biting. Barrymore said, "What a stubborn dog, it's a terrible dog, much like its owner! Begin!" he ordered the four other men to release the dogs each of them held by the leash, and the rabid animals attacked James' poor dog.

All of them seemed to be enjoying the scene before them, and the majority were rooting for the attacker dogs into killing James' dog. Their pitchforks and voices were raised, and everything looked so barbaric, lowly and unfitting for the norms of a much more 'normal' society. To the housekeeper, they all sounded like howling dogs.

"Just like dogs with no breeding," she murmured.

"Stop! Don't, this is wrong! This is too much!" Finnian caught their attention from his sudden outburst. He pushed through the crowd, grabbed a large wooden stake on the ground with ease and swung it towards the four dogs. " _Stop it_!" the animals whimpered when they got hit and got pushed back.

The old woman that looked like the first villager they encountered, held her head and made a choking sound, as though Finnian's actions managed to give her a heart attack, and eventually fainted.

Meanwhile, the Phantomhive gardener crouched down to check on James' dog, and of course, without any much choice, the rest of their company went to the young blond's side.

Except the _oh-so-innocent_ Angela, of course.

Then they heard the growling of humans that really sounded like it were dogs making the sound. The villagers who were in charge of handling the attacker dogs held them again, while the rest who stood by to watch were gripping their pitchforks and all that nonsense. They were glaring at the six outsiders, like how a predator does to its prey.

_"You got in the way!"_

" _In the way of righteous punishment_!"

" _More bad dogs_!"

" _They're bad dogs! Bad dogs_!"

" _Punishment for the bad dogs! Punishment for the bad_ _dogs_!"

Thus, they were trapped and ended up being captives. Ciel and his cousin were chained on separate parts of the wall, whereas the other four servants were tied up to a wooden stake.

"Hmp. You're getting what you deserve, _Maltese_." Barrymore smirked haughtily, his fists clenched.

"Master, I'm pleading with you, please forgive them!" Angela tried, and Amelia _tried_ not to roll her eyes at the stupid and useless feat the maid has done.

Barrymore smiled a wicked smile, "That's true. This _Pomeranian_ is, even if only temporary, one of those serving Her Majesty. Depending on what he has to say, I may be able to let him go." Ciel looked at him with a bored expression on his face, still and quiet.

"Tell Her Majesty to withdraw and never consider this village again!"

Ciel smirked in amusement, "You'd go _that far_ to protect your miniature kingdom? It seems like the expression, ' _furious charge_ ' was invented for you."

Barrymore frowned, "Then, know what happens to those who disobey me! Do it!" he growled out in fury, and the four dogs once again, were tasked to lunge at the prisoners.

"Such _noisy_ dogs…" Amelia groaned and then suddenly, something like a rock flew towards the mouth of one dog, gagging it. Sebastian was obviously the reason behind that, and with one swift movement, he was able to wipe out those dogs.

"Indeed, they are, Miss Amelia." Sebastian agrees to the housekeeper's complaint, looking at her over his shoulder since he heard what she just said.

"You're late." Ciel told the butler, who pulled his glove on tighter. "Please forgive me, My Lord." The young master only scowled at the demon's response.

"Are you trying to get in my way, you Garm?" Barrymore said, with his face that of a dog's.

"What are you doing? Go and bite them all to death!" the dogs made an attacking stance, growling and glaring at them once more.

"Ah, what a loud and barbaric sound they make. This is why I hate dogs." Amelia was able to witness Sebastian's face contorting into a really disgusted look—more disgusted at the animals than the incompetency of the stooges—that they rarely saw from the perfect butler.

Sebastian's eyes turned into their demonic ones and stared the animals down. Amelia marveled at the uncanniness of his eyes, yet couldn't help but flinch upon seeing him that way.

' _It'll take some getting used to, I guess…_ '

The dogs whimpered, somehow bowed down to Sebastian which of course caused shock in the Houndsworth people.

Especially Barrymore. "Wh-what?"

"The farce ends here, Barrymore. Listen, you village mongrels! There is no such thing as a Devil Dog! The only thing here is an old man who was bitten by the delusion of authority!" Ciel declared while Sebastian made his way towards one of the many dogs around him.

"Wh-what proof do you have?" Barrymore stuttered and began to sweat more. Sebastian bent down and pulled out a dog's skull. "It was in the basement of the mansion. The shapes of the teeth match the marks on James."

The villagers' gasps again, both conflicted and surprised at the same time; while Barrymore's frown went deeper. "Please bear witness," Sebastian continued, pointing up at the sky where the shadow of the said 'Devil Dog' was seen.

"This is the truth behind the ' _Devil Dog_ '."

"The shadow of the Devil Dog was just a simple projection: nothing more than child's play. The shining thing in the night was pure phosphorous; he just poured the powder on an ordinary dog." Sebastian explained, all the while pouring said phosphorous powder from a small container.

"The Devil Dog was an illusion, choreographed by one person. And that person is _you_ , Henry Barrymore!" Ciel declared in which the person in question, still tried to prove his innocence and escape from being cornered in public.

"Wh-where's the proof I did that?!"

Ciel smirked when he looked at the butler, bending down to get something from James' dog. "It is high-quality fabric. Why do you suppose this dog refused to let go of it until the end? The reason is this." He held out a bitten piece of cloth that really looked like Barrymore's.

"Th-that's—!"

"Correct. While trying to protect James, it bit your leg and this was torn off. It is a piece of your trousers." Sebastian finished. Barrymore turned around and tried to leave but he was already and was always surrounded by the villagers. The now,  _angry_ villagers.

_"So you're the one who killed James!"_

"There was _no Devil Dog?"_

" _You fooled us all!"_

"Give it up, you're finished!" Ciel said at the same time the villagers lifted Barrymore in the air and carried him away towards the dungeon, inside his very own castle.

"Stop it! Stop it!" he yelled and he kind of made some sort of agonized howl that echoed throughout the place.

After they left, the captives were set free, courtesy of Sebastian. Amelia rubbed her wrists, mumbling something about the chains being too tight. Then, she looked at the blond gardener who was stroking the fur of James' dead dog.

"You're incredible. Trying to protect your Master until the end," Finnian suddenly hugged it close, crying over it too.

Amelia sighed at the heartwarming sight, seeing Finnian's crying face. However, when her eyes landed on the butler's disgusted frown, she couldn't help but snicker. The butler paid no heed to the housekeeper and instead, complained.

"This is why I _hate_ dogs."

Night came in and well, it was raining really hard outside that no stars could be seen in the sky.  All was well until Mey-rin asked her superior if she wanted to go with her to check on Barrymore and to bring him some food.

And Amelia thought to herself, ' _Yeah, why not go for a little adventure?_ ' so she obliged and went towards the dungeon after gathering some food.

"This place sure is creepy, especially if it's raining. Right Mey-rin?" she asked the maid and the latter nodded with an excited smile on her face. "Truth be told, I have a soft spot for creepy things, yes!" and she giggled.

"Mhm, if you say so, then," she shrugged and walked silently, giving up on trying to make a conversation. Amelia thought about how Mey-rin would react if the cherry-haired maid knew about Sebastian's true nature. ' _I doubt she'd still have a soft spot for creepy things. Because that_ demon  _can be honestly creepy at times,_ ' the brunette chuckled at the thought, making Mey-rin tilt her head in curiosity.

"Oh, don't mind me. I just remembered a joke told to me a few weeks back. Ah, by the way, where was Angela when Lord Barrymore was being banished into the dungeon?" She was answered with silence, both of them trying to remember where they last saw the gentle maid. The Phantomhive female servants ended up brushing it off as they descended the stairs towards the dungeon.

They walked for a few minutes in search of the man's prison. "Barrymore was somewhere around he—!" Amelia gasped, frozen in shock at the sight inside the cell.

"Why, what's wrong, Miss Mi—!" Mey-rin fell on her bottom from the sight laid before them. She couldn't help it so the maid just screamed, dropping the food and the drink they both prepared.

Her scream caught Bardroy, Finnian, and Tanaka's attention and the three other male servants quickly ran down to see what was going on.

"What is it, Mey-rin?" Bardroy asked and the housekeeper answered for them. "J-Just… look at _that_ …" Amelia muttered, balancing herself, holding onto the walls for support, since her knees trembled for quite a bit.

"At what?"

Then Mey-rin raised a shaky finger towards Barrymore's cell, which didn't really look like a cell anymore. What, with all that blood inside: the blood-stained floor, the destroyed wall splattered with more blood.

"I-I'll just… go and tell Sebastian—no wait, Young Master… about this." Amelia nearly tripped as she ran and went back to the staircase to go up once again.

"Where could his body be? Where could it have been taken… but, by _what_?" she kept asking questions to herself, as if that would help her know the answers.

Amelia ran towards the guest room Ciel was staying in. Without bothering to knock anymore, she slammed the door open and was gasping for air. This surprised the master-butler duo and she earned a scowl from the young lad.

"Amelia, what was that for?" Sebastian interrupted, "You should've knocked—?"

"I-It's Barrymore… h-he's… well, just come with me so you could see it for yourselves." The housekeeper said between breaths, "Amelia, if it's that important, then you must tell Angela about it, too." Ciel told her and so, even if the brunette didn't want to, she looked for Angela and ran with her towards Barrymore's empty cell.

Upon arriving there, Angela's eyes widened, "Master Barrymore!" she frowned in shock, her right hand in a fist near her chin. Then somebody, a villager perhaps, came knocking hard by the door of the mansion.

They all went there, and in came a man, his clothes soaked wet since he ran all the way there under the heavy rain. He knelt, his head down and said, "Lord… Lord… Devil Dog."

After that, he left once again and ran off towards the arena. Of course, everyone followed him there and from a distance, they all could hear the howling of the dogs, as well as the voices of the townspeople, chanting once again.

"What has happened?" Sebastian asked out loud, but no one really gave him attention. Bardroy asked a woman who was chanting there, "Hey, what are you doing?"

Then lightning flashed, and they saw Barrymore's dead body leaning on the wall of the arena. His eyes rolled back in his head, showing only the whites, his right hand looked like it was bitten off and of course more blood pooling below him.

Ciel looked at Sebastian and the latter nodded. The butler went to Barrymore and inspected his body. "L-Lord Devil Dog!" shouted a villager. "Lord Devil Dog, please forgive us!" some were even raising their arms." Miss Angela!" That was a different name—and it was Finnian who called out in worry. The housekeeper spun her head around to look at the Barrymore maid who just fainted.

' _Is it weird that it annoys me how she always just faints?_ '

* * *

" _'With that, the case is at end.'_ " Having declared such a thing—this is rather unfortunate, is it not, Young Master?" the black butler mocked the little earl after they've returned from the arena.

"Shut up." Ciel scowled, crossing his arms. "What about Miss Angela?" Mey-rin answered this time, "We've put her to bed for the time being. It's no wonder she's tired out."

Bardroy intruded again, "It's so heart-wrenching that it's unbearable."

"It's also sleep-wrecking, you know," the housekeeper added, earning her a few eye-rolls here and there. "This village completely isolated itself from the rest of society, fearing the curse of the Devil Dog." Ciel began to narrate, with his visible eye closed.

"Its existence was supposed to be a farce Lord Barrymore created in order to rule the village. However, that same Lord Henry has now…"

Amelia decided to finish his sentence, " _Died_ , yes, either by someone or some _thing_ else, perhaps,"

"Those bite marks… doesn't it seem as if they were really a Devil Dog's work, just like the villagers say?" Bardroy thought out loud. "Maybe the Devil Dog was angered by Lord Henry doing all those bad deeds in its name." Mey-rin added.

"Well, obviously it just didn't look like a work of _any_ human. It's not possible that a human would or _could_ do that, right? Especially if the people here were all fools, blindly believing in the existence of the fake, Devil Dog," the housekeeper assumed, to which the butler agreed.

"Correct, I've thought about that too, after seeing Lord Henry's corpse."

"What do you mean by that?" Bardroy reacted and Amelia put a hand on his shoulder. "I guess we all should just retire for the night. We're all drained anyway."

Bardroy hesitantly nodded, before the four of them bowed down to their master and left.

* * *

Tossing and turning on the bed, Amelia really just couldn't sleep. Somehow, she has led herself to believe she was soon going to be an insomniac. Deciding that it might be of thirst, she got up and put a to get herself a drink.

Walking around in the dark, the housekeeper thought she heard voices of a male and a female. "Hm, must be Mey-rin and Finny… really, those two…" she sighed and continued to find her way around hallways until she arrived at the kitchen.

Grabbing a glass, she silently poured the warm water in it then gulped the drink down. "Ah, I really was parched." The brunette mumbled to herself, and then took a step back and bumped into something.

More like, _someone_.

Amelia turned around and spotted the butler clad in black. "What are you doing, up so late, Miss Amelia?"

She smiled, raising the empty glass she drank from and wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeves. "I was thirsty, and I was having a hard time sleeping."

"Oh, are you scared of the Devil Dog?"

"Please, Sebastian. I'm not even scared of the devil I'm talking to right now." Amelia chuckled and the butler's face turned serious. "Really now? Is it because the devil saved you from drowning?"

"Not really, no, I guess not. I'm not your average human girl, Sebastian. Anyway, since you brought that topic up… there's something about what you did that really bothered me."

Amelia got another glass of water to drink and Sebastian stood beside her as he leaned back on the counter. He crossed his arms above his chest and looked at the lady.

"I don't know if it was just my unconscious, but I remembered that I heard some words you said before I closed my eyes. Then the next thing I knew, I was on land already." she decided not to tell him about the kiss because, to her, that was embarrassing—she was barely breathing and her brain could have just made it all up for her. And who knows, Sebastian might even mock her for it.

The demon butler let out a deep chuckle as an answer and he stood straight, before leaning his face close to Amelia's, almost as if their noses were going to touch.

"Was that really all you remembered? Or was there more?"

Amelia had a guess that Sebastian was referring to the kiss, but she was no fool and she won't take the demon's bait. Her face unchanging, she answered the question with another question of her own.

"Was there something else that I should know? I was hardly conscious Sebastian. And you know that. Now tell me, since I couldn't quite understand the connection between 'tempting', 'mark', and 'mine'—what were those supposed to mean? Those were the only words I thought heard,"

The butler only nodded, raising an eyebrow at the housekeeper before smirking, "You'll understand soon enough, Amelia. There are things that I would rather you figure out on your own."

The lady yawned, covering her mouth as she did. She shrugs, not an ounce of suspicion arising from her. "If you say so, then I hope I will. I'll leave the trivialities at that, because what's important is that you, sir, saved my life once again. Frankly, I find it annoying how I'm always in trouble lately," she smiled sheepishly.

Patting Sebastian's right shoulder twice, she continued, "It was nice talking to you but I'll return to bed. Do demons sleep? I'm curious." Amelia grinned, leaning at the doorway after washing the glass she drank from.

"Of course… it _is_ considered a luxury for us."

Amelia hummed, nodding at the new information. "Interesting... Well, good night, Sebas—?" she was cut off as they heard some kind of scream outside, along with falling trees and well, destruction. And the scream really did sound familiar.

The lady shrugged, "Oh, oh well. As I was saying, good night, **Sebas _-chan_** ~!"

She laughed at his twitching face. "I would've appreciated it if you hadn't called me by such an atrocious name." Amelia waved her hands in surrender after her laughs died down, "A demon dislikes being teased, I see. Alright then, Sebastian, see you tomorrow."

Amelia turned around and left the butler, heading straight back to her room and dropped on the bed. Her eyes closed, seeing images of the underwater kiss, as her fingers lightly traced her lips. Upon realizing how weird it was for her to be feeling that way, she stopped, and turned on her side, hugging her own body.

"Ah, I should get that out of my head," she murmured and counted sheep in her head. But her wild thoughts forbid her from counting more than ten.

Internally, she sighed exasperatedly at herself. ' _I guess I will consider that my first kiss was taken away, unfortunately… by a_ demon _, that is._ '


	18. Carrot and Stick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

****

"What is troubling you?"

The demon butler asked his Young Master, who was staring down at him with cold eyes and a frown, while Sebastian buttoned down the teenage earl's sleepwear. "Your little revelation earlier. If it was not the work of a human, I hope we won't have another red-haired Death God coming out of nowhere."

Images of the beautiful Grell Sutcliffe, doing his/her/its famous catchphrase flooded the mind of Ciel Phantomhive. His butler smirked, "I really am impressed by your capacity for learning." He said before standing up, walking over to the edge of the bed, grabbing Ciel's coat.

"However, there is no need to worry. Mey-rin's deduction wasn't all that farfetched. The one who was targeted was Lord Henry. It is unlikely that anyone else will fall victim." He finished, while hanging the said coat in the closet.

"Even so, I cannot leave things like this."

"Is this your beautiful loyalty to the Queen?" Sebastian mockingly asked of his Young Master. "No, not just that." Ciel answered back, before smirking and crossing his arms together. "Normally, there wouldn't be much of interest here, however, seeing you teased by a dog certainly has some merit."

Sebastian closed shut the closet, and looked back at Ciel with a fake yet sickeningly sweet smile, "Hm, you really _have_ learned have you not?"

In some other part of the mansion, a blond young man, yes it's Finnian, could be spotted walking around with a candelabrum in his hand. "I wonder if Miss Angela is alright." He mumbled in worry, looking ahead.

The floor started to creak. "A—A—A ghost?" he stumbled, knees slightly trembling. A creepy silence followed before a shriek of the Phantomhive maid was heard through that corridor.

Finnian shouted at the sound of the familiar klutz maid's voice, obviously due to shock. "M-Mey-rin?!" he looked down on her, as she clung to him. "Finny, did you hear that just now?" she asked him, with a trembling voice.

"Y-Yeah… is that…?"

"The late Lord Henry may have returned…"

Just from that, Finnian screamed in terror whereas Mey-rin squealed in delight. "M-Mey-rin…?"

The maid clenched her fists in excitement and said, "I have quite a soft spot for scary stories and things of the sort, yes!"

She grabs both hands of the gardener and behind her thick round glasses, her eyes were sparkling in extreme delight. "I'm shivering with excitement! Let's go, Finny!"

At the time however, in some other part of the mansion; since Sebastian had already put his master to bed, and his mind was filled of thoughts about a certain housekeeper, he tried diverting his attention by doing his usual rounds even if it weren't the Phantomhive manor. ' _Surely, I didn't make a mistake, right?_ ' He asks himself and shakes his head.

To see Sebastian this... _so unsure of himself_ was a rare event and luckily for him humans had to sleep.

So why was this human lady he felt so attracted to, busying herself with a glass of water in the kitchen? And why did he suddenly felt a surge of joy through his being and smirked? And lastly, why did he sneak up on her after watching over the brunette as she drank down in gulps—the way her neck moved was a sight he didn't regret seeing—as if she were some prey?

Eventually this led to Amelia and Sebastian, standing side by side in the kitchen as they were having a small yet still, quite an interesting conversation about that day's swimming endeavors. 

Back to the case at hand… Well, Finnian was running out and around, destroying the trees outside, whining so loud it echoed throughout Houndsworth. Why? Well, let's just say he saw something very suggestive and not-so-innocent at all, through a small crack due to the ajar door of Angela's room.

It also caused the dear Phantomhive maid to lose some… blood through the nose.

Who wouldn't? The sight of a silvery-haired _naked_ man, licking Angela the pure maid's jawline as if she was his own special lollipop and chew toy. It could've given the Phantomhive servants the idea that Angela was _not_ to be seen the same way again, especially after what they've witnessed as a hint of foreplay between the man and the Barrymore maid. 

"How fierce," Mey-rin mumbled, staring into the darkness of the night, walking away in respect to their privacy. 

* * *

"Today's snack is Cabinet Pudding, prepared with blackberries from the surrounding regions." Sebastian declared, setting down the plate with the said yummy treat.

Amelia was standing a little to the right of her cousin, and her thoughts were elsewhere. Specifically, about the conversation she shared with the butler the night before.

' _You'll understand soon enough, Amelia.'_

Sebastian's words kept on ringing in her head, at random times in the day, that she has found it frustrating.

"You're quite laidback, aren't you?" Ciel asked of the butler in which he replied, "There is no need to get flustered."

Tanaka and Bardroy were also there, standing a little behind Sebastian. They were all silent, watching their master have his snack. Suddenly, the door burst open revealing a frantic Mey-rin with Finnian right behind her. "M-Mister Sebastian!" they ran in together.

"Mey-rin, what's wrong? Have you forgotten how to knock?" Amelia asked, frowning a bit, seeing Ciel's appalled face. "You are making a ruckus." Sebastian added, his face clearly showing that of annoyance.

"Miss Angela is nowhere to be found!" Finnian said, informing them.

' _Oh great. When will she not cause us some trouble?_ ' the housekeeper sighed exasperatedly after complaining in her head, which caused Ciel to glance at her, before returning his gaze toward the other servants. 

"Ah, it seems that there are some herbs that grow near the swamp. She said she'd go pick them." Bardroy explained, suddenly remembering. "On her own? To the swamp?" Finnian said, worry staining his face.

"Really? At a time when the Devil Dog may be running loose?" Mey-rin followed up in shock.

"Ah, damn!" Bardroy exclaimed, realization hitting him. Amelia clicked her tongue at the information, " _Why_ would _she_ do that _now_? And mind your manners, you three." She reprimanded, crossing her arms, trying to calm down.

"Oh, it seems she was all worried about how pale Finnian looked." Bardroy explained, remembering again which caused the gardener to stutter. "F-For me?" the young lad's obvious crush on Angela deepened and he blushed, a nice shade of pink staining his cheeks.

Feeling that it was now, all his fault, plus his concern, Finnian turned around and abruptly left the rest.

"Sebastian, we're going too!" Bardroy said, running behind Ciel's seat towards the door. "Right, Amelia?" the lady mentioned blinked a few times, "W-Wait, what?"

"Oh?" was all that the butler said.

"What, don't you two have any hot, red blood running through your veins?! Let's go, Mey-rin!"

Amelia raised a brow at the chef's statement and smirked. _'I know I have red blood. I wonder what color is Sebastian's real blood, though. Or even if he_ has _blood._ '

"What about Old Tanaka?" said old man was wearing a soldier's uniform, with a gun in his hand, looking as adorable as he always were. That presence of his made the housekeeper's mood lift a bit.

"He's got the spirit! All right, let's go you rabble!"

"Yes sir!" Mey-rin saluted.

"Ho-ho-ho~"

The lady sighed and once again stood there in silence after the other servants left.

"Amelia, I know you _have_ red blood. Or are you hiding something from me?" Ciel asked with a single brow raised as he looked at his cousin, doing a perfect job at keeping a neutral look on his face, before taking another forkful of the delicious food.

The brunette rolled her eyes at him, acting her usual self in the absence of the others. "Fine. Let's just say I'm not all that fond of the pretty maid, alright? Don't ask me why. There's just… _something_." She tried, then turned on her heel making a move to follow the other four.

"Did I tell you to leave?" Ciel asked which made her stop in her tracks. Without muttering anything more, she resumed her position on his right. The three of them continued to share the quiet atmosphere, as the young earl kept eating pudding. When he was done, he put his fork down with enough grace expected of a noble and dabbed the napkin on his mouth.

He smirked at the butler that stood across the housekeeper. "So, what color is your blood? Seems like something to get flustered about."

At this, Amelia chuckled a bit, and Ciel drank tea, while Sebastian sighed, his face _really_ aggravated.

"Show them how perfectly you play your role, Sebastian."

"Yes, My Lord."

"As for you, Amelia, take your seat. We need to talk. You can go on ahead, Sebastian."

The butler narrowed his eyes slightly, before bowing a bit then left, feeling suspicious of the cousins—especially the younger one. But he had no choice but to do as ordered.

"I'm curious." Ciel started after motioning once more for Amelia to sit and was cartain that Sebastian was out of hearing range. He sipped his tea again before continuing. "How did Sebastian rescue you?" he looked at Amelia with a small smirk on his lips. "Care to share?"

The one in question had to think whatever it was she had to answer, preferred to leave out the kiss she thinks her mind is telling her that they shared, obviously  _for anti-blackmailing reasons_ , and she decided to just tell him of how vague it all was.

Amelia also informed him of the three words she hardly understood and deciphering its meaning and connection with each other proved to be a difficult task. Then she added, "Well, last night, after you fell asleep, we somehow ran into each other in the kitchen when I got thirsty. We discussed this same topic, and he replied that I would understand, soon. Basically, that's all there is. Nothing much of a big deal, right?"

He nodded, "I see… how _interesting_."

"But, um, Ciel… after _that_ , I don't know what happened next. I just woke up on land near you, so I'm curious as well." Amelia suggested that maybe Ciel also knew something since he was a witness to it.

He took a final sip of the tea and set it down. "He swam back to the surface, with you in his arms. Then Sebastian set you down on the ground, got a towel and wiped you dry. I expected him to give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and he made it clear that, ' _There is no need for such, Young Master. I have made sure she would regain consciousness a few moments later_.'"

"At first, I doubted him but that bastard just kept smirking and he is a demon who does not, cannot, and must not lie to me at all times. So, I dismissed it then I proceeded with giving him the order to get on with the case of the Devil Dog."

' _So… a demon's kiss saved my life? Preposterous… but with all that's happened in the past few months, nothing truly is impossible,_ '

Amelia nodded her head, tapping her lower lip with her index. "Ah, is that so then? Very well, thank you," she leans back now and a pleasant smile graced her face. "From what I can recall, Ciel, we haven't really discussed your contract with Sebastian,"

There was a pause until, "...alright, what do you wish to know? I assumed Sebastian has told you enough, even after he didn't answer my inquiry of how much he revealed."

"He says he didn't choose you, and it happened on that day that _he_ was the only demon present. My concern is, why go through such lengths? You sold your soul to the devil—do you realize what this coul—?!"

Ciel slammed his hands on the table, surprising the housekeeper. His voice was dangerously low and harsh, "...Someone like you who has had a perfect life, until you were stupid enough to run away with reasons I presume are _petty_ —would never understand."

Amelia's eyes widened in the slightest as Ciel continued, clenching one of his fists. "You have never even been humiliated, treated worse than a rat and your name has never been defiled. I don't need your concern or pity, Mia."

The lady sits straight, intertwines her fingers together and wears an unreadable expression on her face. "I do not pity you—the way I have looked at you has never changed, has it not? To me, you are still my beloved cousin and as long as Sebastian remains true to his word and true to you, I have no qualms about this contract because _you_ chose to have it to save yourself from whatever or whoever those bastards were."

She reaches out to ease the earl's fist from its tight clenching, and she proceeds to pat it in a gentle manner. "No matter what you go through, just remember that _I_ am here for you. You may doubt me and my words, but I will make sure you get what you want and need in every way I think is possible for a human like me be able to do."

They stare at each other for a while, before Ciel pulls his hand away from Amelia's. The lady motioned for them that it was probably time to take their leave, and the Phantomhive earl stood up.

The housekeeper did her job and cleaned the mess, clearing the table of Ciel's used dishes. After that, Amelia put the coat around her cousin, and gave him his hat. They continued on in silence, and it helped them both to cool their heads from the short exchange of words. 

Walking a few more meters away from the Barrymore Castle, they saw Sebastian standing near a tree and looked as if he was waiting for them.

"Sebastian? What are you still doing here? Disobeying my order?"

"I was waiting for the both of you, assuming you two would not have an idea as to where to go."

Amelia scoffed. "You don't trust me now? How nice of you, Sebastian."

"Not quite, Amelia. After all, you've been causing much of the trouble for the past few months, if I remember correctly. But I _did_ make sure not to hear anything of what the both of you talked about."

The cousins scowled at him, in which he, in return, just smirked.

"Tch, will the two of you _shut up_? Let's just go, Sebastian, Amelia."

"Fine." "Understood." They mentioned in unison.

As the dynamic trio walked towards some kind of ruins, the _other_ trio's noises could already be heard from where they were.

There was some howling as well, and it didn't sound like that of a _normal_ dog's.

"Ah, they sure are rowdy as always…" the brunette mumbled. They arrived to where the others were, who did not really notice the arrival of their superiors, because Finnian was about to be eaten by an enormous white dog with red eyes.

"So this is… the Devil Dog," Amelia whispered to herself.

It was standing on two paws, yes, and then it made a move to hit Finnian, who was on the ground. But as usual, our great demon butler, also known as Sebastian Michaelis, made a move to stop it.

"My, my, you're quite good at the 'Shake Hands' command. However, as expected, it is _quite_ heavy!" he raised his arm up and the demon hound went flying… and crashing.

"Hey, this isn't the time to be playing around." Ciel scolded.

The other four looked behind them and finally recognized that they weren't alone now. "Young Master! Miss Amelia!" they said again, together.

Finnian stood up while Sebastian stared ahead, the latter replying to his master, "Of course, I intend to clean all this up in just a moment."

The rest of the Phantomhive Household just stood there in amusement—with exception to the head of the house.

"It is a scent you cannot resist, is it not? Puppy's favorite; they'll want to eat it every day! It's 'Innuko'!" he brought out a box of the dog treat he mentioned—and some of those who watched him tame the devil dog wondered where, when and how he managed to acquire such.

It somehow reminded Amelia of Undertaker, the unforgettable creepy guy who drinks from beakers and sits on coffins and eats doggy bone treats. 

In an instant, the white hound's enormous mouth watered and came rushing towards Sebastian. The butler mumbled a few things before he jumped up in the air saying, "First, the carrot!"

He got on its nose, then hugged it. After that he bit its nose. The demon's expression was… priceless, so to say, that the brunette housekeeper burst out in laughter; although she did try to hold it back in and ended up failing.

The devil dog enjoyed it, obviously.

' _But I bet Grell would enjoy it more, if that Death God's in the Devil Dog's shoes,_ ' Amelia thinks to herself and regrets it, cringing as images of the Death God and Sebastian doing it went to her head quickly. 

Once again, Sebastian flew in the air, "Followed by… stick!" and he landed a kick straight to its face.

It went on like that, from giving treats and then a punch on its face, rubbing its belly then stepping on it, hard; spinning it around in the air, holding on its tail then throwing it away.

"This is a bigger show than I could've imagined." Ciel muttered.

"Literally, for that is one _large_ dog, Ciel. It makes me feel like I'm in a circus all of a sudden," Amelia said, the picture of Sebastian biting the devil dog's nose still in her mind.

"And for the finale, a big embrace!" Sebastian declared, running towards the devil dog with his arms wide open. He jumped up in the air with it and then down they fell.

It made a big hole on the ground and it looked so deep. His audiences all rushed near the edge of it and stood there.

"Hey Sebastian, how deep did you penetrate this hole?" Amelia had said that in the most innocent way possible, and everyone was too engrossed at the scene their butler had presented for the adults to have thought of it in another and more  _suggestive_ way. 

"What are you idling around for? Come back here, this instant." Ciel said, looking down too, with his hands on his waist. After a few seconds, the earth started to rumble and then the butler's answer echoed from down below.

"Understood."


	19. A New Mission?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

The stooges, Tanaka, Ciel and Amelia all took a few steps back as quick as they could since the ground they were standing on began to rumble—they could have lost balance and fallen into the deep hole. They watched in surprise, which turned into amusement, as hot water came gushing out and up from the hole with Sebastian nowhere to be seen.

"That's right! What about Sebastian?" Finnian said, snapping out of his awe.

"One thing is essential for a resort: a centerpiece that will provide a tourist attraction."

They all looked up and saw the silhouette of Sebastian within the water, slowly and dramatically revealing himself.

"Bathing luxuriously in excessive amounts of hot water, draining away the fatigue of the day, that is what this is: the spa!" the butler declared, standing atop of the water while carrying a naked man with white hair. Amelia wondered yet again how all that was possible even though she already knew the answer to that.

' _So_ that's _the Devil Dog…?_ '

The butler hopped down from the top and landed perfectly on the ground. Then standing up once again he said, "If one who serves as a Phantomhive butler could not strike a spring or two, then where would we be?"

The housekeeper rolled her eyes at the demon's cockiness, as if rubbing his perfection into their faces was necessary at all. Ironic as it sounds, the  _naked hu_ _man_ Devil Dog happily licked Sebastian's cheek and the latter made it obvious that he wasn't pleased at all and was just utterly disgusted. Amelia smirks in delight while thinking, ' _Well, that's karma for being so proud of yourself, show-off_.'

Suddenly Mey-rin turned around, with her nose bleeding quite too much, "Once again, it is _too_ shocking, y-yes!" The cherry-haired maid was referring to the Demon Hound's exposed genitals—which  _were_ quite larger than the average human male's—that even Bardroy looked down at his crotch upon realizing what Mey-rin meant.

Amelia though, didn't feel as flustered, but found it rather odd and improper. She decides to keep her eyes fixated on the butler's face as she tries, "Hey Sebastian, how about removing your tailcoat to cover him u—?!"

"Pluto!" A familiar voice yelled out that cut off the brunette's request. Amelia currently has a distaste for the Barrymore maid. She even blames her for what happened to Finnian and his innocent emotions. Angela Blanc is someone rather suspicious, in Amelia's opinion. 

Angela came running towards the Phantomhive Household and well, 'Pluto' apparently is the name of the Demon Hound. He happily jumped off of Sebastian's arms and ran on his hands and legs, like a dog does, towards the white-haired maid and hugged her very tight. Since Pluto was in human form, they all, especially Amelia, found the whole spectacle rather awkward. It is wrong and not for young kids to see, thus the brunette attempted to cover Ciel's visible eye. The young earl responded with swatting Amelia's hand away, while Pluto kept licking Angela's face as she continuously caressed his lengthy hair.

However, the housekeeper gasps at another realization, ' _Wait,_ she _was able to tame the Devil Dog?! Now, I have more of a reason to doubt her._ '

"I found this little one about a month ago. I love dogs and he was just so cute I ended up trying to tame him." Angela began to explain with a pleasant smile on her face, noticing that the outsiders were staring at her and Pluto. Amelia had her brows scrunched up in disbelief, ' _What?_ Little _one? So_ cute _? What the actual_ hell _, Angela?'_

When no one dared to voice out their thoughts yet, so she continued. "He has a bad habit of turning into a human when he gets excited, though."

Everyone was still silent and speechless, but Bardroy seemed to not have been able to hold his horses and exclaimed, "Don't try to settle all this by calling it a _'habit'_!" Perhaps the chef was rather annoyed at the naked man and his exposed manly rod than the whole ordeal.

"So you kept him without telling anyone?" Sebastian asked in which she confirmed. "Lord Barrymore used the legend of the Devil Dog, but in reality, he was more afraid of it more than anyone else."

"When I thought about what would happen if this one found out… I suppose I was too naïve. I didn't think for one moment he would do that to Lord Barrymore."

Amelia narrowed her eyes and scoffed silently at her reasoning. This wasn't left unheard by the butler but he didn't need to look at the brunette, having already shared the similar feeling of suspicion towards not only Angela's goody-two shoes attitude, but also of the maid's _real_ nature.

"I beg of you! Is there no way he could be taken to Lord Ciel's mansion?" Everyone once again, was bewildered and partly confused, especially Sebastian though he doesn't make it obvious unlike Amelia does. "I beg your pardon?!" The brunette lady exclaimed.

"Take him to the mansion?" Bardroy asked too, shocked by her request. Angela's purplish eyes began to tear up, clutching on Pluto like she was its mother and savior. "If he's under Mister Sebastian's tutelage, I believe Pluto will become a wonderfully obedient dog!" she explained further, as if the favor she was asking was somewhat reasonable at all.

"I... can hardly picture Sebastian doing that, Angela. Unlike you, he prefers felines, rather than dogs," The housekeeper tried to convince the maid to stop her crazy idea, since it won't just add to the mess but she'll have to work extra hard in maintaining the manor intact since her gut tells her the demon butler wouldn't give a damn about Pluto anyway. 

The butler looked away from Angela as he answered with a frown, "Well, I am one hell of a butler, but—!" he was cut off by Ciel settling everything into finality, "That sounds fine to me, Angela." Sebastian looked down on him, the look of anger and annoyance completely shown on his handsome features. His eyebrows furrowed even more, "Are you _serious_ , Young Master?"

The housekeeper gulped, already sensing burning anger just from that statement. She chose not to butt in anymore, as Ciel continues to bully his butler. "Yes, it sounds fun _in many ways_." He replied, an evil smirk on his lips. Sebastian could do nothing but sigh, his hands firmly tucked behind his back.

"Oh, then I suppose I shall put it as we have a new… er, _pet_." Amelia mumbled with a dejected sigh following after it. True, as servants, they all had no choice but to go along with their master's orders.

Suddenly, the villagers came rushing towards the spring, and they were each wearing swimsuits—even the elderly ladies. They were ecstatic, yelling that the Devil Dog's curse was finally lifted from them and the whole of Houndsworth. Angela remembered, "That's right, of course. There is a legend in this village, that when the sins against the dogs have been repented, the earth will let out tears of redemption."

"They are blessed tears!" an old woman declared, as the simpleton villagers happily cried together.

"There was already a spring in this village, though." Sebastian murmurs, to which Ciel responded in nonchalance. "Well, whatever. Our goal was accomplished."

At this, the butler places his knuckles to his chin, "I seem to recall you were forced to eat your words earlier. Would you like to say it again, now that it's finally become true?" Sebastian mockingly replied as his own payback, with a wide annoying smile on his face.

Ciel glared up at him, immediately ticked off and said through gritted teeth, "Why don't _you_ do it, then?" Amelia snickered at the two's bantering and thus, the butler proudly announced with an arm raised high, "With that, the case is at end!"

* * *

"Excellent. This is just perfect." Ciel said, relaxing by himself in the hot spring, of course, not wearing his eyepatch.

"Allow me, Young Master; traditional hot spring service. You see my Lord, this is how the Japanese enjoy hot springs." The butler informed, pushing a round tray on the water towards his master, where a cup of tea and some biscuits were placed on it.

Outside, the noise of the construction for the said resort came ongoing. Hammering of wood and some steel, yelling commands and complaints—these were all a dead buzz to the Phantomhive earl's ears.

"This gloomy village has experienced quite a transformation. I imagine it would be enough to dispel the Queen's worry." Ciel declares, drinking a bit of the offered tea. "Something tells me that my worries are only just beginning." The butler replies, watching the devil hound still in its human form, also known as Pluto, doggie-swimming through the hot spring. "Anyway… Sebastian… I have a question."

The butler lifted an eyebrow, waiting for whatever it is that his master wanted to know.

"I'm quite confused about your... nature. Do demons have the ability to love?"

Sebastian remained a straight face, not so sure about what nor how to answer his master. Instead, he attempts to divert it with another inquiry of his own. "What made you think of such, Young Master? You, who has lost the ability to even smile in joy?"

A biscuit happened to be in the earl's hand and it ended up being crushed to pieces and falling into the water. Pluto ate the bits that flowed to him and Ciel looked back at the butler with a glare, "I suppose it is normal for a child to be curious, no?"

"Ah, so you are a _child_ since it works to your advantage,"

" _As I was saying_ , that Red Death God once mentioned it before during that time. It just happened to pique my interest lately." A flashback of Grell saying, " _Demons are devoid of love,_ " ran through the young earl's head as he told this to the butler. Sebastian seemed to have been staring at the spring for a moment before making up his answer, "In all honesty Young Master, that Death God was wrong."

Ciel raises a brow, now much calmer and more intent on listening. "I suppose my kind doesn't prefer calling it something as stupid as ' _love_ ', but perhaps something akin to permanent attachment to a certain being. Demons who have found their special other—or _spouse_ in human marital terms—are usually found possessive over them." He paused, before adding a few more interesting information, as he begins to scrub the earl's back.

"There were some instances that it was referred to as ' _soul-mates_ '. They say that if one meets their destined soul-mate, they'd feel an uncanny attraction to it and would not realize the situation instantly. However, it is not always another demon who's going to be one's soul-mate. These are based from what I have learned and heard of before,"

Ciel swallows the food in his mouth before speaking, "So it takes some time for a demon to distinguish that _that_ certain being is their _soul-mate_? What if they don't get to know about it?"

The demon hums in thought, "Precisely, and as far as _I_ have witnessed, there were some instances that they ended up killing them or devouring their soul if it happens that the soul-mate was human."

Ciel places his chin atop his upturned palm after nodding, "That's quite a tale. And you, have you met yours?"

Sebastian smiles rather sheepishly and pauses his scrubbing, "I'm afraid not, My Lord. I must say, that for a demon of my own stature and age, it isn't quite—ah, how shall I put it— _normal_ , per se." Ciel smirked before sipping his cup refilled with tea. "Here I thought that demons didn't have ' _souls_ ' or anything that would surround the idea of love."

The butler sighed at his master's mockery, "Would that be all, Young Master? If it's not too intruding, might I know the real reason for your inquiry; for this is the first time that you have shown concern even for something as trivial as your butler's  _romantic life_."

The earl scoffed and rolled his eyes before he remained quiet, ending their discussion. "Ah, I see. Very well then, I suppose children do enjoy learning new things, yes?"

Possibly, the demon and his master were both inclined to think that a certain brunette could be the answer to everything that they have discussed.

The following day, the Phantomhive Household was getting ready to depart, the stooges carrying the luggage as usual. "Nice and snug, don't ever forget me." Angela said to Pluto, after putting a collar on its neck. She placed a small kiss on its cheek, running a thumb on it delicately.

"Why don't 'ya put some goddamn clothes on?! Don't just let _it_ hangin' out there for us to see!" Bardroy requested, rather harshly, yelling at them.

"Well, it was fun spending time with you, Miss Angela." Finnian said his farewell to the said maid and she turned around to face the Phantomhive gardener replying, "Aw, I'm sure we'll be meeting again sometime… my sweet boy." The fair-haired lady cupped his face and leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek, making Finnian's face heat up and turn red.

"So Angela, take care of yourself. Lord Barrymore has passed, and hopefully you haven't much to be worried about now. Anyway, it was nice knowing you," Amelia said her final words to Angela, waving her hand a bit with a slight smile. "It was nice knowing you too, Miss Amelia." She replied with her usual serene smile, before Amelia abruptly turned around to go to her seat and have nothing more to do with the maid.

"If you're finished, may we go?" Sebastian had asked.

"Oh, certainly. Maybe someday I'll come to visit Pluto to the estate." The maid raised a knuckle to her chin, her smile as bright and wide as she thought of it.

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Pardon?"

"You were able to tame a _demon_ hound. It is a task, not many people could do. It seems you have a _talent_ of wrapping lesser beings around your slender finger." Sebastian said, his eyebrows slightly furrowed and his face serious. He didn't hold back in showing his dislike and politely telling her she wasn't welcome. The smile on Angela's face remained, but it was now probably a fake one.

"Let's go, Sebastian." Ciel ordered. The butler put a hand to his chest and bowed before leaving to get on and begin the trip back. "Goodbye! I hope I could see you again!" Finnian screamed, waving his arms, along with Mey-rin and Bardroy.

With an internal chuckle, Angela whispered after waving back, "One day… we shall."

* * *

A few days had gone since the day they arrived back at the mansion from Houndsworth and things were doing as normal as things could get.

Ciel asked Amelia to call the other four servants to his study so I did what I was told. And now… it came to be like this.

They all stood in front of him, as he sat on his leather seat. The three dudes had worried faces on while the young earl looked on. "So then, what was this matter you wanted to discuss with us, Y-Young Master?" Mey-rin asked, fiddling with her fingers with a trickle of sweat on the side of her face.

"There is a job I want you three, including Mia, to do."

The stooges gasp while Amelia frowned, already sensing something bad from whatever it is Ciel wants them to work on. "Job? Goodness, what a relief!" they hugged each other happily, with tears of joy running down their face. "Being summoned to the Young Master, I thought we were going to be fired for sure!" One of them—probably Bardroy—voiced out his worries, that it made Amelia snicker.

Ciel clears his throat and they all had to be quiet and begin to calm down. "This is one of the things Talbot is said to have collected; a camera with a past. I heard this long lost item had suddenly come up at an auction and I went to quite some trouble to acquire it." He explained, bringing out the said camera in the process.

The three looked clueless as to what Ciel had said, so the cute little Tanaka went into his human form to explain. "William Henry Fox Talbot. He was an English scientist and one of the inventors of photographic technology."

They watched the old man with delight and Amelia held back from hugging Tanaka as he continued. "There is a strange rumor surrounding the final camera he used. It says if you take a picture of someone with the camera, then the being most treasured by that person may also be revealed in the photograph."

Now, at that, even the housekeeper was interested.

"Let's take one as a test. Don't move; this camera takes ten seconds for the negative exposure." Ciel said from underneath the black cloth and Finnian stood still in his place. "What's negative exposure?" Mey-rin asked.

"Put it simply it reflects and burns Finny's image." Bardroy answered as they waited. "If you don't stay still for ten seconds, it will blur and won't come out properly." After ten seconds, Ciel covered the lens as Finny let out a deep breath.

' _Don't tell me he didn't breathe the whole time? It was fine to breathe though._ ' Amelia thought as she rubbed the blond's back before taking a peek at the photograph taken.

The picture showed Finnian's struggling face and a little bird by his side, flying. The gardener grinned at the sight, "I gave it food everyday and eventually it would come to eat from my hand. I was so happy, and when I went to pet it nicely… it stopped moving." The stooges and Amelia found the story to be quite touching at the first part, but became conflicted by the end. The brunette couldn't decide whether she should feel bad for Finnian or the bird, or if she found it funny.

She shakes her head instead, still looking at the photo. "So you mean to tell me, the being most treasured that's revealed would have to be dead? Or it is just mere coincidence," she asked.

"Ah, that's right. I forgot to mention something. The precious thing that is reflected is something which does not belong to this world. In other words, only the dead." Tanaka explained, back to his human form.

Ciel smirked again, "The most precious thing to _that_ person, which is not of this world. In other words, the dead will be transported to the photograph." Amelia keeps thinking of the importance of that camera to Ciel, if it even had any.

"Do occult stories like that r-really exist in the 19th century w-world?" It was weird to be hearing the boisterous Bardroy stuttering and seeming to be quite afraid instead of being amazed—unlike the look on Mey-rin's face, all fired up. "How amazing! What an exceptional camera it is, yes!"

Amelia tried comforting Finnian, since he's suddenly sulking at the corner after staring at the photo and feeling nostalgic over it. "Aw, Finny, it's okay… just think of it this way: the little birdie's in a peaceful and happy place now." The young blond gradually began to sob, "M-My little birdie!" Amelia's forest green eyes widened in worry that she apparently might have made it worse.

"Take a picture of Sebastian with this camera. However, do it without him realizing."

Everyone went to an abrupt stop at the declaration of an unbelievable order.

' _Damn it Ciel. You know how_ impossible _that is: he's a demon. And the impossibility that these three_ —e _ven after spending nearly a year or so more with Sebastian_ — _they still don't know that important fact!_ ' Amelia stresses out in her head, while the other three seemed to be interested and were willing to do so.

"A sneak photo?" Bardroy asked.

"Yes."

"Wh-who is the one that Sebastian cares _most_ for, yes?"

"I kind of like to know."

"That bastard is always finding flaws in my artistic cooking! He's human too." Bardroy declared with determination that made Ciel smirk while Amelia simultaneously face-palmed at the chef's sureness that Sebastian was still considered human with all the inhuman feats he has already showed them, which were enough of a reason to  _doubt_ him.

Though the brunette found this to be rather troublesome, it did intrigue her in some degree since she knows the butler's true nature. ' _But still, Sebastian_ is _alive, yet is_ not _of this world. I wonder what would appear in the picture though._   _I'm even doubting if he would_ appear _in it._ ' Amelia thinks to herself before nodding her head and a small amused smile made its way to her lips. "Even for something trivial, it _is_ interesting. Alright, I'm in." she said, with a slightly raised brow.

"He must have a weak point or two, so this is our chance!" Bardroy added. The housekeeper scoffed, making him look at her. "By that, you mean blackmail material? Because I highly doubt that he has a weak point we can use against him."

"You'll do it, right?" Ciel ended their blabbering and the three stood straight, determined to do anything that would please their master. "Yes, My Lord." The three chorused with a stiff bow, and after that, one can hear the words, "Ah~ I've always wanted to do that!" They rejoiced for being given the chance to say that one special line made by the one and only hellish of a butler:

Sebastian Michaelis.


	20. Sebastian, say 'Cheese'!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

' _If a picture was taken of_ "that thing" _with this camera, I really do wonder what would come up._ ' The young earl thought to himself, just as how Amelia did—the only exception is that the housekeeper didn't refer to the demon as a thing. He mumbled softly as he smirked, "This will be something to look forward to."

The grandfather's clock rang, the time being half-past nine in the morning. Ciel, still in his study, was playing with a small replica of the mansion; a black sheep and four toy soldiers in it. ' _At this time of the day, Sebastian is normally in the library_.'

Moving on to the said library, the four servants, yes, the three idiots plus Amelia were staying behind the shelf of books. ' _Just how would we accomplish this?_ ' the housekeeper asked herself incredulously as they all peeked at the black butler from behind the books. 

"Stay still." Bardroy whispered.

"I-It's ten seconds, yes…"

"Ten seconds…"

Amelia sighed and mentally face-palmed, thinking, ' _You three shouldn't have spoken. He's a demon everyone! He could totally hear you! Can you not see the smug smirk on his face?!_ ' she would've loved to scream that out loud but oh, she'll get killed and it wouldn't really help them. 

Sebastian tightened his glove, with a smirk and off he went and quickly cleaned the library. The three stooges had their eyes widened while the brunette rolled hers. 

"So fast!"

"He's so fast; I'm having trouble keeping track of him with my own eyes, yes!"

"Damn it, there's no way we can snap him like this!"

"Sheesh, he's such a  _show-off_ … as expected of him."

Sebastian put a knuckle to his chin, looking at the vase filled with white flowers. Mey-rin was first to react, "Ah, he stopped…"

"I have to admit, he has a superb talent in _acting_." Amelia muttered to herself, earning her a confused look from the gardener. "What?" Finnian asked, which made her shake her head, "Nevermind."

"Anyway, now's our chance!"

The butler decided to amuse them, bringing out a white napkin from his pocket and turn it into a red rose, before adding it to the vase of flowers. He opened the door and left.

The four servants failed at the first attempt but were still amazed and not any hint of suspicion about his true self was evident on the stooges at all.

Back in Ciel's study, he got a soldier and knocked the black sheep down. "Next up, is the cleaning of various rooms."

Finnian barged in a room where Sebastian was, pushing a billiard table towards him. "Watch out!" he yells. The butler, with a blank look on his face, raised the red cloth he was holding, just like how one does in bullfighting.

Finnian crashed the wall, leaving a hole in it. The young blond rolled off and away to the ground. Obviously that failed, so Amelia snapped her fingers, an idea coming to her mind. "Listen to me, everyone."

They huddled, waiting for Finnian before she began whispering her little scheme. "This might be one of the most embarrassing things I'll be doing in my whole life, and my pride's at stake. So make sure to get the picture this time."

Now that Sebastian was in another room, he anticipated what Amelia will be doing. Somehow it excited him and he tries to act as normal as he would. The said housekeeper went inside without knocking and saw the butler dusting the figurines and things of the sort.

"Oh, Mia, what brings you here?" asked the butler innocently, seeing the housekeeper who took calculated steps towards him. Sebastian was restraining his smirk, waiting for the lady's reply. Amelia cursed him in her head and took a deep breath. "Well, I just thought about our… _conversation_ the other day. And then, I just realized I haven't thanked you enough for saving my life." She stepped closer, stood a little beside him, helping him dust off the wooden furniture since she too, brought a duster.

' _You three should be able to get this or so help me I will kill you so hard, you'll die to death._ ' Amelia thought.

"Is that so? It was nothing, since the Young Master had _ordered_ me to do it as well." He smirked at her, making her feel quite embarrassed for having it look like she was assuming things that may or may not be true.

"I don't care if it was on Cie—the _Young Master_ 's orders. You still saved me. I don't know how else I could thank you." She gulps after her statement and stops dusting. At this, the butler pauses as well and turned to face her, "You don't have to thank—?!"

Amelia closed her eyes and attacked Sebastian with a warm and gentle hug, dropping her duster in the process. Her cheeks went a little bit pink from what she's doing, yet she buried her face in the butler's chest to hide it from him. ' _I have never been such a flirt. How disgusting and pathetic this is._ ' she sighs internally, but Sebastian's perfume smelled really good for her not to enjoy—although this, she wouldn't admit.

"M-Miss… Mia…" the three other servants were too surprised to act immediately, but Bardroy snapped out of it.

Sebastian, with slightly widened eyes, stared down at the human holding their bodies close with their uniforms the only barriers between them. The startled look gradually turned into another amused smirk, for he already thought of something that would give Amelia a taste of her own medicine.

' _Seven. Eight. Nine._ ' Amelia counted in her head, same did the other three.

At the last second, the demon's sudden movement caused everyone to dread the success of this well thought-out plan.

He had Amelia pinned to the wall behind her, his duster also falling and discarded on the floor. Their faces were in such close proximity, and the three were panicking behind the shelves, not knowing what they should do.

Amelia on the other hand, glared at the butler. "Sebastia—!"

He shut her up with a _kiss_.

Perhaps, a _taste_ of her own medicine was taken too literally. However, this medicine of _his_  might have been better than expected.

Mey-rin was having a nosebleed, Finnian nearly fainted, Bardroy's jaw was about to fall off and Amelia's eyes were about to pop out from their sockets. One would expect a full-on make-out session, but the butler had his manners and his aesthetic. Sure, she is a housekeeper, but he never forgets the fact that Amelia was raised to become more than that. It was simply a long, chaste kiss that was enough to relieve him and calm himself. He doesn't expect the lady to respond to it and he didn't mind. It was highly satisfying and the bad news is: he would end up wanting more.

Sebastian pulls away after nearly thirty seconds, but his face was still close to hers. " _You're welcome_ , Amelia." Then he whispered with a corner of his lips tugged upwards, "What a waste of your _pride_ , isn't it?"

The said housekeeper balled her fists by her sides, and smirked in return. All she had left of her pride, she had and she must save. No way was she backing down on a demon. She runs a hand through his hair and pulls down on it lightly and replied with a whisper of her own. "I did think of kissing you, however I was taught well and I strongly oppose that it is alright for a respectable lady of society—such as myself—to make the first move in kissing a man I am not even in _intimate_ terms with."

She lets go of his hair and watches him stand straight once more with no response. Amelia chuckled, despite having a hard time fighting the urge to punch him.

"Now whose pride has gone to waste, _butler_?" she flipped a lose strand of her hair after picking up the duster on the floor and gave one final look at the butler before she turned on her heel. The brunette went out the room and closed the door, sliding down slowly to the floor.  _'That…_ bastard _.'_ She thought tiredly and waited for her three other companions.

Meanwhile, the butler stared at the closed doors and an evil smile spread through his face.

"You never fail to amuse me, _housekeeper_."

Apparently, they failed to take anything at all. Sebastian _did_ move anyway. She shakes her head in disappointment mostly at herself and let out a string of curses in her head all aimed at Sebastian.

' _I'm going to have to give those three a taste of my wrath once this is over._ '

Right now, the four of them were currently assembled in the hallway, looking at all the trashy photos. "Why do we have to go to all this trouble just to take a single photo?" one of them complained, although deep down they knew that obviously, from the beginning that it was going to be quite a task.

They all sighed. Then the door slammed open, revealing the butler they were supposed to be taking pictures of. "There is a job I'd like to ask _all_ of you to do."

"What now?" Amelia asked, trying to mask the annoyance in her voice with confusion; but the butler hears through it, and ends up ignoring her emotions. Instead, he motions to the Devil Hound right outside the window. "That." They all looked at the white hound, and Finnian immediately brightened up that the housekeeper could see sparkles around his young face.

"What's the problem with the pooch?" Bardroy scratches the back of his head, also in annoyance. The butler informs them that  there would be a guest arriving soon. "Please move that somewhere out of sight before then, that it will not offend our guest's eyes."

"Somewhere out of sight, meaning—?" he cut the brunette off and she fought hard not to strangle him then.

"I will leave that up to you." The butler turned around and made a move to leave. "Hey, we have our own jobs to do you know." Bardroy informed him. Sebastian stopped in his tracks and managed a fake smile saying, "You can do it in-between your other jobs. Just make sure it is done before our guest arrives."

Amelia rolled her eyes and mumbled, "If I know, he asked us to do it so we won't be able to bother him."

So among the four of them, it was just Finnian who could handle Pluto. But the Demon Hound was stubborn, breathed fire out on the poor boy. Lucky him, he had superhuman strength or else he'd be dead by now.

"W—Wow! Plu-Plu can breathe fire too!"

"That's a Devil Dog for you! Ah, no! Wait, this isn't the time to be dawdling!"

Amelia groaned.

* * *

' _For heaven's sake,_ what _are they doing?_ ' the young earl thought, quite annoyed at the four servants; well, five servants' poor performance. "Is something the matter?" the butler asked, noticing his master's quite distressed look, though it was his usual stoic face.

"No, nothing. I will take dinner in here today as well."

"Understood."

The butler looked down on the toys his master were playing with and smirked. They were both looking at the black sheep.

A few moments later, Sebastian could be found outside, in some other part of the mansion's perimeters. He looked down on the sleeping Demon Hound and sighed, "Good grief. Those four… it would probably better if they were just eaten by him." He put a hand to his head, massaging his temples with his gloved hand.

Then it hit him like a carriage since trucks probably didn't exist in the Victorian era.

"Well, maybe not _her_ … just those three." He thought aloud. A sudden meow from a stray black cat caught the attention of the stressed-out butler. A smile made its way on his face, "Oh my." Sebastian got the said animal then sat on the ground, leaning on a brick wall. He raised it up, carrying it and chuckled. He made it lie down on his thighs and he caressed the cat's belly.

"What a supple body, and soft paws." The butler pressed on the cat's pink paws, truly enjoying the little moment. " _Ahn~_ cats are so sublime." He continues to gush over the feline and playing with it, ignoring Pluto who was awoken by the cat's constant mewling.

Pluto became jealous, got too excited, and turned to human. He ran and threw the poor cat away from the butler and whined, grasping onto his chest. The butler once again, sighed, annoyed. "Why does something always _interrupt_?"

Moving on, Ciel placed the failed attempts of taking a picture of Sebastian on the desk before him and his servants. Truth be told, he looked disappointed. Really. "I'm sorry, Young Master!" Finnian started, ashamed.

"Even with Miss Mia's plan, it didn't work, no it didn't!" the said housekeeper clicks her tongue at this and Ciel took a glance at her with a raised brow. "Dang it, Mey-rin!" the maid flinches away and tears run down her eyes from behind the large glasses. Amelia took calming breaths and spares her an apologetic look; after which turned into one that says it's-none-of-your-business as she faced the young earl and crossed her arms above her chest. "Hey, didn't Bard _-fro_ say he had a plan?" she decided to change the topic instead.

"It came to me after seeing the pooch breathe fire."

"Don't go using any flamethrowers."

"How depressing…" the three became sad, while Amelia felt thankful. She wouldn't want another big mess of course. It would cost a _lot_.

A _lot_ of time to be wasted and all that.

Then the door opened and in came the Chinese nobleman, Lau. "Count Phantomive!" he happily greeted him. "M-Master Lau?" all of them looked shocked to see him so suddenly. Lau placed his hands down on the desk and stood in front of Ciel. "What did you come here for?"

"I heard something interesting was going on."

"Go home."

"Don't say such cold things. Leave this to me."

This line caused Ciel to look at him in shock, his eye widening more than it should have. " _Oh_?"

"The spider's web has already been woven. The more you struggle, the harder it becomes to escape from those bonds. Whatever the prey is, once they get involved with me, catching them is only a matter of time." The young earl stared up at him for a while before he let him in. "Alright. However, I will not tolerate failure. _No matter what."_ Lau smirked, "But of course. If I sullied the Phantomhive name, I'd be ejected from this country after all."

He sounded _so serious_.

" _So, what are we doing?_ "

The four servants fell down while Ciel gritted his teeth in anger after being fooled by Lau. Thus, they began explaining and eventually, they came up with an idea formulated by the Chinese man himself.

* * *

"Welcome." The butler bowed, opening the front door of the mansion.

The guest removed his top hat and placed it by his chest. "I am Paul Jones of the Brit Business Company." The blond guy said with a smile. "Mr. Jones, we have been awaiting your arrival."

"This way, please."

The butler led the way, holding the guy's hat for him as they entered. From behind a pillar, Lau and Ciel were hiding. "And so it begins…" whispered Lau to no one in particular.

Jones and Sebastian made their way to the staircase. By the time they reached the top, Ran-mao was seated on the railing, with her legs over the other. She switched the position, probably _trying_ to attract the men more.

The butler never made a second look towards the Chinese lady whilst Jones did the opposite. "What is with _that_?" Ciel whispered harshly, his cheeks going a little pink.

"Oh, how strange. I thought _that_ would definitely make that butler stop and look for even a second."

"I am an idiot for believing in you for a moment." As Ciel said this, Ran-mao was making different poses on the said railing; all the while Jones' face was pink from his blush ( _and probably perverseness and growing hardness_ ).

"It's too early to give up just yet." Lau answered back, before he made some signs to the other four who were hiding across them behind the staircase. Amelia brought out two large fans and handed them over to Finnian and Mey-rin.

They kept fanning, making Ran-mao's short skirt flutter, revealing more of her self. Jones' jaw dropped, his face looking more perverted than ever. Amelia noticed Bardroy losing it and focused the camera on Ran-mao.

"That's the _wrong_ target, Bard-fro." She hit his head… hard. With the fan's wooden handle. Despite that, instead of being the one hit, she was the one who felt a headache coming on. And no, she wasn't fanning along with Mey-rin and Finnian.

The chef nodded, his head hurt and skull throbbing from the impact. He looked up and saw Sebastian standing tall atop the staircase. The butler turned around to look at the blond guest. "Mr. Jones?"

"Oh—oh, yes!" Jones quickly snapped out of it and went to the butler, wiping the sweat off his face.

"Ah, how strange indeed." Lau said; a knuckle to his chin, his face looking confused.

"What an utter waste of my time." Ciel, on the other hand, shook his head in disappointment, at Lau and more at himself.

* * *

"There is the Executive Director of the Phantom Company: Mr. Tanaka." Sebastian introduced the old man who sat across Jones in a very long table.

"Well then, I shall begin my questions immediately."

Into some other part of the mansion, yes the hallway where Ciel's study was located, five people, namely the three stooges, Lau and Amelia sat on the floor. On the door, a sign hung _'Do not disturb!'_

"I wonder what the Earl is doing all on his own. Is he sulking?" said Lau, breaking the silence.

"He said he wanted to think on his own for a while, yes, but…"

"The Young Master is pretty serious this time." Bardroy finished.

"This is so stressful…"

Then they all sighed together. In the room, Ciel's fingers were intertwined on the desk, staring intently onto the toys. The six soldiers surrounded the black sheep. "To stop that _thing_ for ten seconds…" he sighed then rested a hand on his eyepatch as he shook his head. "This was the last thing I wanted to resort to, but I guess I have no choice but to make _that_ move." Ciel frowned, clenching his fist.

Sebastian had widened his eyes for a bit, the moment Ciel had said those words and made a move to leave but he stopped in his tracks and instead, gave off a smirk. Jones' voice cut his train of thoughts, "Next, can you please tell me what the Phantom Company's business strategy is, from here on out?"

Jones asked the poor old Tanaka but the said man replied, _"Ho-ho-ho~"_. His steam was about to run out, and any moment now he'd turn back to the cute little version of himself.

Thus, Sebastian took it from there and answered Jones' question. "Currently, our company specializes in toy manufacturing and confectionery as its principal business. However, from here on out we will expand into other areas as well."

After Sebastian had said this, Tanaka had returned to his usual form and had run out of steam. Jones' eyes widened, surprised by the old man's sudden _transformation_. The butler then, slammed his hands on the desk to steal Jones' attention. "At the present moment, our company…"

"Oh, y-yes?"

"It is proceeding with its plan to widen its business within Europe. To begin with, we will expand with new branches in Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam and Athens. In addition, within the next five years, including those in North America, we plan to have a presence in thirty countries."

Sebastian explained quickly, making Jones focus onto writing, trying hard not to miss a thing. He went on and on and by the end of his ' _speech'_ , "That is the Phantomhive way. _Right_?" the butler winked.

"That is all."

Jones wiped some sweat off his forehead once again. "Th-thank you very much. The last thing I need now is a single picture." He brought out a camera out of nowhere; probably his bag. The butler's eyes widened, "A picture?"

"If possible, with you included as well."

"I must decline. I am just one _hell_ of a butler, after all."

* * *

"Today, I have prepared the Devil Dog Cake from our trip to Houndsworth." Ciel raised a piece of it in front of his frowning face, "Why is there something like this?" he had no choice but to eat it anyway. "It seems that Bard and the others bought an insane quantity of it."

"How did the article go?" the earl asked, moving on to the next, more important subject. "Mr. Tanaka showed his formidable strengths as company president."

Ciel smirked. "I see. Well, it's not like I can be the face of the company _at present_." The butler agreed to it and added, "Yes. There was a photograph taken at the end as well." At the mention of anything related to pictures and a camera caused the pleased look to be wiped from the young earl's face, and was replaced with a frown as he looked up the butler, "A photograph?"

"Yes. Lately, it seems that having a photographic portrait accompany an article is the fashion. Young Master, how about having one taken as well?"

"Nonsense." The earl went on eating instead, and sort of ignored his butler.

Evening came, and the Demon Hound went howling while standing on the roof of the manor, the moon shining bright behind his form. "It's about time." Ciel said to no one in particular as he made his way outside. Once arriving there, he stood at a distance, while Finnian was holding a marble statue above his head.

"Hey Ciel, is this really necessary? Maybe you could just—?!"

"Yes it is. Now go to where you should be, Mia."

The housekeeper sighed, looked at his confident face before she clicked her tongue. "Do you solemnly swear that you are up to no good?" before she could see Ciel roll his eyes at her, Amelia turned around and went to where Mey-rin and the others were.

"Young Master, is this alright?" it was Finnian's turn to ask, anxious of what he's supposed to do.

"Like I said, it is."

"But—!"

"It's fine, so just do it!"

The gardener spun the marble statue with ease and threw it up in the air. A few seconds later, it was landing towards Ciel. Finnian was crouching there, unable to hold himself in, and begins to run to save him. "Young Master!"

But then, an explosion could be heard, the marble statue having collided with something; rather someone. Once the dust and all that had gone away, making the scene clearer, only to reveal that Sebastian used himself as a shield.

Ciel looked up and saw his butler, the latter's face serious and looking down on the young earl. The marble wings on Sebastian's back slowly cracked and eventually got destroyed into small pebbles. They stayed in that position for a while, before Sebastian grabbed the back of Ciel's head and pulled him slightly in, probably to get a 'closer' look at his master.

Suddenly, those dragon statues, supposedly were some kind of firecracker, made the both of them pause long enough for Bardroy to take the picture. Lau, on the other hand, came out with Ran-mao and commented, "Isn't this a wonderful scene?"

"You're late." Ciel told his butler, his face stern.

"I'm sorry. I was making preparations for tonight's dinner. Today's main dish is a Rouen-style roast duck."

"I see."

"You should've just ordered me to let you take it." Sebastian changed the topic. The earl sat up straight and frowned, "What?"

"Whatever you order me to do, I will do right away." Sebastian said with a mocking smile, a hand pressed by his chest. Ciel looked down and away from him, "What are you talking about?"

* * *

"We finally took one!"

"The fruits of a day's hardwork."

"That's the Young Master for you, yes!"

' _After all this time, I'm still surprised that we were able to do it. And that the people around me still have no idea that Sebastian is not human because getting not a single scratch from a marble statue is certainly normal human behavior._ ' Amelia thought in her head, leaning on a nearby wall. "Now all we need to do is to actually see what's there."

_If_ there is something there.

They waited in silence, watching as the photo soon started to become clearer. "Alright, I'm beginning to see it." Bardroy mumbled. Then the most unexpected man came in, and no, it wasn't Sebastian nor Lau, but the demon hound: Pluto.

He was growling at the servants, his hand out, his long black nails that weren't as long as the Undertaker's but it is more proper to refer to them as his _claws_ , were out and he looked ready to devour them all any time.

Amelia didn't waste any second the moment she saw Pluto's lips curl and smoke escaping his partly opened mouth. The housekeeper dashed out from beside the stooges and went out, squeezing herself in with the little space in the doorway, before Pluto breathed out fire on them.

' _Dang it, Sebastian… now the photo got burnt._ ' she thought, as she had no choice but to watch the other three receive some burns from Pluto.

So all their 'hardwork' today was… useless.

It was maybe around, ten already in the evening and she last saw her cousin enter his study once again to finish some paperwork. But she felt concerned for his health and it was way past his bedtime. Picking up speed, Amelia headed towards Ciel's study to check on him.

The door was slightly open when she arrived, so she poked her head in and saw Sebastian in there.

"Is he asleep?" she whispered as she entered, and the light from the hallway went in with her. The butler nodded for a response, "Sleeping out here like this… how sloppy." 

The housekeeper chuckled as the butler's eyes fell on the camera. "Because of you ordering Pluto, the picture's all gone."

"Did you want to see what would appear?"

"Of course. I am a curious person after all. And I wouldn't have agreed to this 'mission' if it means nothing."

"That aside, it would seem that the number of unnecessary jobs has increased again." He said, still not convinced and opted to changing the topic. The two servants were speaking in their normal volumes so it must be that the Phantomhive earl was deep in his sleep, for he didn't flinch nor stir.

"That's true…" Amelia couldn't help but agree with a tired sigh. Sebastian suddenly held the camera on his palms and looked at it before he turned to the housekeeper and they shared a look. They both smirked, and for the first time that day since their little scene, the two seemed to be on the same page and thought of an idea.

A very nice idea.

* * *

"So then, the one who is most important to the Young Master is Sebastian, yes?"

"So that's how it is huh?"

"They're really close friends!"

"Yes, the Young Master is my rival! What should I do?"

"Ah, Plu-Plu…?"

"…Which means?"

"So, Sebastian cares for the most is Plu-Plu?"

Amelia smirked, overhearing the other three's conversation after she had showed them the picture. ' _Man, if only they knew Sebastian isn't human I bet they'd flip._ ' she thinks to herself, snickering as she went out the very messy kitchen to go to where Ciel was having his breakfast, leaving the servants chattering among themselves. 

As she entered the dining room, Sebastian had just said, "I'm honored." He smiled mockingly at Ciel and though she didn't know the reason behind his words, she can guess that it was about the photo she helped take. The housekeeper chuckled, causing them to look at her entry.

"Shut up." the command was directed at both of them.

"Well, it _was_ your fault for being so defenseless while asleep." Amelia stood on the other side of Ciel while she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You _bastards_."

"The image reflected in a picture is but an illusion. However, even if it is just an illusion, wishing to hold onto it is one of the hollow dreams humans have." Sebastian replied to the swearing, and Ciel stared up at Sebastian for a while before his head turned to his cousin. His brows raised, upon remembering something from yesterday that had the brunette fuming at the only other female servant in the manor. "So I guess it's time for you to reveal the plan you had, Mia. Mey-rin said something like that." He smirked at her, placing his chin atop his hand. ' _This_ brat _._ '

Tossing her hair back and with her nose stuck up in the air, she replies, "We are not talking about that. _Ever_." The earl hums in amusement, continuing to tease the brunette. "You do know you're blushing, right?"

"No, I am _not_."

He gets some food in his mouth and swallows before turning to his butler, the same mocking and sly look on his young face. "And how was it, Sebast—?"

"Shut _it_ , Ciel." She grunted at him as she cut the earl's words off, with her voice slightly rising in volume and she glared up at the butler too. "Sebastian, don't you _dare_ tell him! And don't you dare try to _change_ the story! Remember, you did something too!"

"What? He did somethi—?!"

"Haven't I told you before? That I do not tell lies? And yes, I admit that I did do something for there is no need to deny it the same way you do." Ciel lets out a sound of cockiness and smirks triumphantly at Amelia. The housekeeper, running out of words to say, resorted to biting her lower lip and chewing on it, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks and neck in embarrassment.

"However, since the feeling is mutual; I am sorry to say this Young Master but, I believe it is something not for young ones like you to know. And I believe that you, having knowledge over such a trivial matter shall tarnish my image as the Phantomhive butler." he places a gloved hand to his chest and bows curtly.

When his head snaps up, Sebastian had a fake, closed-eye smile while the earl gripped on his fork; surprised at the seemingly quick turn of tables. "You _bastards_."

"We know, Ciel. We know. You've already said the same thing twice in less than an hour, so suck it up." Amelia ends the conversation at that and she and the butler share another look and decide to remain quiet, both enjoying their master's temper being played with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...just came in to say thank you for everyone who's been reading the story. All the kudos, the bookmarks, comments--it's a big help in motivating me so... anyway, I hope you continue to look forward to it! In case you have any uh, questions or concerns just leave a comment there or something. Again, thank you, and see ya'll next chapter!


	21. Sister Complex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

Time passed and soon, snow began to cover the earth as December made it to the people's calendars. There came a day, around late November to early December, wherein Ciel and Sebastian went to London, to the Ice Top Market and they won the ice sculpting contest. Well, as expected again of Sebastian. It was for some sort of ring but sadly, some gang wanted that ring and it was chaos.

Of course, once that twelfth month arrives, there can only be two things to remember: Ciel's birthday and the Phantomhive annihilation. Amelia realized this and she became worried for her cousin. ' _Not once has he mentioned anything about his birthday,_ '

So now, it's a day before his birthday and to be honest they, meaning the three stooges, Amelia and Tanaka, want to celebrate it.

"Tomorrow it's his… _you know_. Why can't we celebrate it?"

"It's a rare occasion, so why can't we make it fantastic and lovely, yes?"

"I know right? But knowing him, he would just… think of it as a hindrance or maybe a waste of time." The housekeeper said, picking up dried leaves off the ground. Then they heard some jiggling bells, their heads turn to see a carriage. A curly-haired blonde young lady, wearing pink, stuck her head out the carriage while waving her hand.

Oh yes, it's Lizzie.

"I'm here!" she cheered happily. Mey-rin, Finnian and Amelia all had the same reaction. "L-Lady Elizabeth?!"

With dread looming over the winter air, Amelia Midford slouches for a while and gripped on the broom she held. She prayed that whatever purpose the younger Midford has in her sudden arrival, would not involve another round of wearing her frilly dresses. With a sigh, she turns to her co-workers. So I'll take that as a sign to pick up our speed. Let's return inside after, and who knows, maybe Lady Elizabeth has some dance parties up her sleeve."

* * *

The doors of the Phantomhive manor burst open, revealing a young lady in pink which happened to be Elizabeth, the fiancée of the head of the said manor.

"Ciel~~~!" the girl squealed, running in the mansion, up the staircase and grabbed Ciel's hands. She spun the startled young earl around while giggling happily. After she had her fun, she placed a small red box with a fuchsia ribbon tied around it. "Here! This is for you! Open it, now, quickly!"

Confused, Ciel just followed her demands with a bored expression and used his other hand which was wearing the family heirloom, yes the ring, on his thumb.

Elizabeth grabbed this hand, quite surprised at the sight of the ring she clearly smashed to tiny pieces in front of everyone. "Wh-what? I thought I broke that!" she said. With a dismissive tone, Ciel only replies, "Ah, Sebastian repaired it."

"No way! It was all cracked! I don't even see any flaws!" Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes. The said butler raised a hand to his chest and replied, "Such skill is only natural for one—!"

"Who serves as a butler for the Phantomhives." Ciel cut in and finished the quote overused by his demonic butler. "Exactly as you say." The butler only smiled his fake smile, and the two males didn't notice that Elizabeth took a step back, now feeling down.

"I see… Sebastian…"

"My Lady…?" her maid, Paula took a step closer to her, worried.

"Lady Elizabeth, what is in that little box?" asked the butler clad in black. At that, Elizabeth snapped out of her sulking, and stuttered; her voice rising in different pitches. "Ah, this? Oh, this! It is just… er, a secret!" she quickly snatched the small box from her fiancé's hands.

"Huh? Didn't you just say you were giving it to me?"

She faked another smile, "That was an  _f-e-i-n-t_ , feint~! A lady who tries to catch a man with gifts is no lady. It's unseemly, especially for someone like me. Now Paula, ring your bells!"

"Yes, My Lady!" the said maid grabbed the said thing from behind her and put up a smile, jiggling the tiny bells with all enthusiasm. "Well then, good day to you!" Elizabeth turned around and dragged her maid outside the large manor with her.

"So… what did she come over for then?"

"Tomorrow is your birthday, Young Master. Perhaps that was the reason?"

The young earl's eyes widened for a while before it returned to its original shape, a small frown coming along with it. "How about it, Young Master? Shall we hold a party? It looks as if there are others who are hoping to celebrate, too."

Meaning, the three stooges plus Amelia and Tanaka. Those five were peeking from behind a pillar they were hiding in.

"My birthday…" Ciel started, reminiscing his dramatic and tragic past, few flashbacks of the said birthday two years ago and of what used to be that can never be returned.

"I was so looking forward to it; to my birthday." Ciel turned on his heel and headed the other way as he murmured to himself. 

"Young Master?"

"Ridiculous. Bring me tea in my room." His voice was colder than ice as he ordered his butler, heading east and up on the staircase. "Right ahead." Sebastian said with a fake smile plastered on his face. After a while, his face turned serious, somehow rather, not amused.

That evening, in some part in London, Elizabeth was stuck in traffic. Not minding that, she stared at the little box which was supposed to be her gift for Ciel. Paula, her maid, looked out of the carriage window as she sat across her young lady.

"I wonder if it's because of work on the Underground?" the maid trailed off, noticing Elizabeth's gloominess. "A-Ah, My Lady, please look!" she went on with ringing the bells she had with her.

"Paula."

"Yes?" _Jingle. Jingle._

"You always look so happy." Elizabeth said, making the maid somehow shocked by her comment and she sweat-dropped. She stammered with the bells, causing it to ring continuously. "I—I'm sorry!"

"Oh, I'm not scrutinizing you. It's just that I'm quite envious. You're so radiant and you never seem to worry." She said, reassuring the maid as she leaned back on her seat. "My Lady, you're normally quite carefree yourself." Paula replied, gone a little too _honest_.

Elizabeth looked up at her when she said that with a knowing look and the maid did a follow-up, "Th—that aside, we really aren't getting anywhere, are we? If we get stuck here until nightfall, what on earth will we do?" as Paula said this, the blue diamond ring, the Shard of Hope, started to glow in the little box.

Elizabeth started to hear music playing and she looked outside. She saw a puppet-like man playing a music box, yes it was 'London Bridge' he was playing, and then he disappeared in the shadows. 

Enchanted, the blonde Midford leaves the carriage with Paula not realizing this, since the brunette maid was staring out the other window, trying to get a glimpse of how much longer the traffic would last. Trying to ease the worry she felt, she mutters, "Ah, but that might be kind of like camping, so it could be fun My La—!"

She gasped, seeing the empty seat across her and the open carriage door. "My Lady? My Lady!" she stepped out, calling for her master but to no avail.

Back to Elizabeth, she followed the music, took turns on some narrow alleyway and all that, 'til she stopped by a doll shop.

"Welcome." The puppet-like man greeted her, a leg over the other as he sat down with the music box on his lap. Elizabeth was startled by him. "U—Uhm…"

The puppet-like man stood up from his seat. "That ring… how unfortunate. It has not chosen _you_ as its master." He monotonously said with a small frown on his lips as he stepped closer to the young lady, who at the moment was looking down on the supposed-to-be gift for her fiancé that she wore on her thumb.

"However, your eyes…" the man crouched down to level his face with hers, and a hand tried to touch her face. This made Elizabeth quite uncomfortable, avoiding his touch and a little pink tinting her cheeks.

"A—Ah, C—Ciel is the only man I…"

"Your eyes have such tremendous depth and sadness in them. I can tell. They're incredibly melancholic." As he said this, tears began to form in the emerald eyes of the said girl. Well, this emotional girl ended up explaining and opening up with this stranger as she cried, consumed by her own emotions. 

"I see. A birthday present."

"I—I wanted to ch—cheer Ciel up." She hiccups. 

"There are many wares here, and they are all wonderfully fantastic items." Puppet-man said, with finger puppets on his fingers. This made Elizabeth to stop her crying as she looked at him.

The clock suddenly chimed, which said seven in the evening. The music box suddenly played and Elizabeth smiled a little as she looked at those dolls that sure looked quite realistic—as though the dolls were once young human girls. 

"I shall give you whichever one you wish. Please choose whatever you will." He followed the gaze of the girl across her. Running out of polite words to decline, the young blonde stutters, "B—But…"

"Ah, I understand. To you, these are all the same." Suddenly he bent like how a doll does, "Therefore, I reason, for a superior present, to be given to a very dear person…" he raised his arm and held his top hat, before he bent down stiffly.

The puppet man looked up at Elizabeth, a scary smile on his face while the girl's face was reflected on his eyes.

"The most suitable thing would be… _yo_ _ur very self_."

Back at the Phantomhive manor, a telephone ringing could be heard. The housekeeper, Amelia, was the one who answered it and was pretty much displeased by the sudden news she heard from Paula.

She quickly ran towards Ciel's study, with Sebastian in there, not minding to knock anymore. "E-Elizabeth… sh—she's gone missing." The brunette held her breath, trying to calm her nerves. Ciel couldn't believe what he just heard from his fiancée's sister.

"What? She's disappeared?"

"I just said _that_." Her voice was sharp as the glare in her eyes before she ran a hand through her brunette bangs. "Her maid said that she lost sight of her around Islington." She spat out at him, clearly annoyed by the situation at hand. "Then, we'll move out immediately." Ciel wasted no time and stood up from his seat. "For Heaven's sake, what was she thinking?"

"I have no idea. We just have to go. Look for her. _Now_."

"Before that, I have this for you." Sebastian interrupted the two of them, showing the silver platter with a sealed envelope, a letter from Her Majesty. This caused an angry groan to erupt from the housekeeper.

Amelia had no choice and waited as Ciel read the letter. "Scotland Yard is frantically continuing their search in the case where only young girls are kidnapped. The bodies of the girls have not been found, but most likely…"

Without finishing the thought, he continued. "The culprit sends out the Shard of Hope to those who would become targets; the mysterious gem that brings ill fortune to its owner. To return to the tale of this treasure, having previously failed to acquire it." The housekeeper raised a brow at this, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor. 

"What shall we do?" asked the butler. The little earl placed the letter down on his table and said, "We shall ease the Queen's gloom. That is our highest priority, no matter what happens."

' _Oh_ _the_ beloved _Queen, the Queen… it's_ her _again!_ ' Amelia thought, number of curses rang through her head.

The butler stared at his master, again with another stern and sort of bored look on his face while the housekeeper punched the nearest thing she could punch, which happened to be a shelf, venting out the pent anger on the furniture before she can hit any one of the males in the room. 

"Okay, I just had to hit something so I could calm down." She said right after the books fell off, catching the two males' attention. She forced a smile, them knowing the reason why she would react like that.

* * *

"Pardon the intrusion."

The puppet dude said, opening the doors as he walked in stiffly. "I have made my Master wait. Master, what should the doll be this time?" he said, down on one knee, and hand to his chest.

" _Make it out of wax and stone, wax and stone, wax and stone. Make it out of wax and stone, my fair lady~_ " his master sang for an answer, while waving his hand about.

"Understood."

Meanwhile, Amelia, Sebastian and Ciel were riding the carriage in silence. The woman was probably still quite pissed by what Ciel declared a few moments ago, seeing that her arms were crossed while looking down on her feet, avoiding the gazes of the other two men.

Ciel was looking out the carriage window, whilst his butler turned to look at him. "Young Master?" the little dude closed his eyes, as if thinking deeply and said, "Open the carriage door."

The housekeeper's head snapped up and Sebastian's eyes widened, speaking, "Pardon?"

"Go and question the victims' families and make a list of suspects. We need names and addresses. Sneak into the crime scenes. You should be able to achieve all that within three hours, no?" he never looked back at the butler, but the demon's reflection could be seen through the window.

"In the meantime, I will take care of some _minor business_. That is all."

"I see." The demon's eyes narrowed in the slightest and he looks at the housekeeper through the corner of his eyes. 

"Hurry up and get on with it."

"Yes, My Lord."

The moment he said that, he jumped out the carriage and ran. Ciel leaned back his seat and Amelia stared at him, the glare softening but the visible blue eye not meeting her own forest green pair of eyes. "Minor business, huh?"


	22. Doll Freak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Here it comes! I feel it coming!" a certain grim reaper muttered, while running atop buildings in the city. Jumping from roof to roof like a madman, he/she/it jumped again, high in the air with the moon as his/her/its background. "My Hunk Radar is going off!"

Meanwhile, the dynamic cousin-duo of the Phantomhive household were in a rush, currently weaving through streets in search of the young lady Midford.

"Paula said she lost sight of her around here, however…" Amelia started, as she looked around the empty street. Her focus was on her sister, whereas her companion was busy glaring at the Demon Hound. "Why do we have to be with this guy?" Ciel complained, holding the leash of Pluto who was wearing a tux in his human form.

" _Take this. Hopefully it will be of some use to the both of you_."

" _Such as_?"

" _If necessary, use it as bait and run away_."

The previous conversation he had with his butler came into his mind, as he kept stressing about Pluto, that he thinks was just a nuisance. Amelia would have teased him, that Ciel might have been regretting his choice of bringing the other-worldly being, but she had no time for that. "We have no other option but to at least, try and see if Pluto has a use this time, right?"

He crossed his arms before him, still holding the leash. "Whatever. He's a dog so he should be able to track scents then." The little earl muttered, before pulling out the fuchsia ribbon from Elizabeth's little gift. He lowered his hand down, bending a little, to Pluto's face. "This ribbon from Lizzy's present has her scent on it." The demon hound sniffed the said ribbon, before sneezing, probably because of Elizabeth's perfume. The cousins frowned together, annoyed by Pluto's actions.

"This little piece of… _ugh_ , I think Pluto only listens to Sebastian and he's not even here to—! Hey, wait for me Ciel!" Amelia was cut off mid-sentence when the demon hound began running, dragging the earl with him to a narrow alleyway. They were expecting to find Elizabeth but they were only welcomed by a cute little female dog near the end of it.

Pluto's cheeks had a little red in them upon seeing the cute little puppy. His tongue was out, mouth open in a wide, maybe perverted smile.

"What the hell? So even  _he_  can be in heat?!"

"Just shut up, Mia and hold that thing's leash!"

Their short bantering was interrupted by a voice from just above them. "Oh my! Men in heat make my heart thump!" Grell's voice caught their attention while the little puppy took this time to flee, making Pluto whine. " _You have got to be kidding me._ " Amelia muttered, instantly recognizing the speaker's voice, and the long, red hair slightly glowing in the dim moonlight streaming over their heads.

"I am the hunter of love! This heart of mine burns up any prey I set my eyes on. It scatters deep, crimson sparks!" he/she/it turned around while standing on the roof. Ciel grit his teeth and Amelia's fists tightened. She still hasn't forgotten how the Death God literally sliced her only aunt's life from her chest.

"Hunk sighted!"

"Y—You're…" Ciel started, as realization slowly hits him.

"Even if I'm like this, I'm a butler to  ** _die_**  for~!" the grim reaper said his/her/its usual catchphrase, doing the pose that came along with it, while sticking his tongue out. "Well, right now I'm not in active employment." He began to explain, before jumping down the roof.

"That's what you get for interfering into other people's lives, I suppose." Amelia mumbled a little too loudly, shrugging in nonchalance. Luckily for her, Grell didn't hear it or pretended not to.

"Because of the _'Madame Red'_ incident, I was demoted and now, have nothing to do but boring, lowly jobs. That bastard Will told me I can't return to work until I've retrieved some troublesome souls." Grell kept on blabbering. "That  _rotten sadist_ … well, food is best just as it's about to go rotten and those cold eyes send chills up my spine~!" Amelia's face turned into disgust, goosebumps on her skin. Even if she didn't know who that Will person was, she felt that the chances of encountering another Death God are high, with Grell always hanging around them. 

"But this one's _wildness_ is hard to ignore~" Grell referred to the Demon Hound in human form. Then, his/her/its lime eyes travelled up to the two cousins. " _Ah_ ~ you're not about to tell me you're going to take revenge for your beloved aunt, aren't you?"

"Shut up." "Damn you." The two said in unison.

"It looks like Sebastian isn't around either. What can a brat and a bitch like you two do?" Grell continued mocking the two humans in front of him, in which the two's patience had started to wear thin.

"Shut up!" Ciel spat out at him once more and scowled, at the same time Pluto started growling at Grell. "Oh? Your knight for tonight is him? Why do these measly humans steal all the good men?" He/She/It tossed his/her/its long hair back, and placed both hands by the waist. Then, the leash slipped from the little earl's gloved hand and Pluto came running like a dog, barking loudly and it was as though he was going to attack Grell.

"Oh~ Oh~ I'm being assaulted~! Please be gentle~!" the reaper had his/her/its arms wide open, welcoming Pluto for an embrace. But the Demon Hound just passed by, ignoring Grell's presence, and same did the two humans that rushed after their pet.

This made Grell flip out. "Hey! What is the meaning of this?!"

The two cousins took a few turns just like Elizabeth did, following Pluto until finally they arrived a few meters from the doll shop. They both saw the dolls that were displayed by the window, one of which looked exactly like Elizabeth.

"L—Lizzie, my sister!" Amelia gasps and was about to run again, this time dragging Ciel with her; but she paused when Grell suddenly spoke, appearing behind them with an open book—a Death List—in his/her/its hands. "Grim Reaper Death Note: #403: Mandalay Family Puppeteer, Drocell Keinz."

The breaking of glass caught their attention once again, towards the shop and Amelia wasted no more time. She dragged Ciel by his arm in to it, with Grell following just behind. They saw the Demon Hound that picked up the Elizabeth-like doll. Ciel bent down when Pluto turned around to look at him, and it walked over to him and placed the doll by the earl's open hand.

"This is…" the ribbon by the doll's waist resembled the one Elizabeth was wearing. Amelia was looking around the place, and saw the back door open. "If she's not around here then, if we go through there we might find her." She spoke and they all turned their heads toward her. Ciel stood up, and followed his cousin. Through the back door, a large creepy manor was revealed to them. "There's no doubt that Lizzie is in there." Ciel thought after seeing the eerie looking place. "My, isn't that a welcoming mansion?" Grell commented, still following them.

The brunette realized that if there's a Death God, someone was about to die. Immediately, she thought of Elizabeth and tried her best to hide the anxiety from her cousin. "Come on Ciel, what are we waiting for? Let's go before we're too late!" Amelia started to move, definitely ignoring the redheaded reaper. She stopped in her tracks when she felt like Ciel wasn't following her.

The young lad looked like he was thinking of something deeply, eyeing the reaper for awhile before he sighed. He tilted his chin up, "Grell, protect me."

"Wait… what?" said the reaper and the housekeeper.

"I'll listen to whatever your wish is."

"Don't insult me."

"He _killed_ Madame Red, Ciel! Alright, I may not be that much of a powerful and strong person, but cousin, you can count on me!" Her retorts fell on deaf ears as the earl continued. "I'll let you do whatever you want with Sebastian for one day." Ciel turned to look at the reaper with a smirk, and the latter stopped with his/her/its blabbering. Amelia clenched her fists, baffled by just the thoughts of what Grell might do with Sebastian for a day if given the chance.

"To _hell_ with that condition! There is no way that is going to happen! Do you even think Sebastian would agree—!"

"Why, what's wrong Mia?  _Jealous_?" Ciel smirked at his cousin. The housekeeper's cheeks got a bit pink and she scoffed at the accusation, crossing her arms together. "I am most certainly _not_ jealous."

"Whatever I want with Sebastian meaning…  _I can kiss him_?" the reaper's eyes sparkled in delight while Ciel and Amelia felt shivers up their spine. Ciel still continued his bribing despite that, "Whatever you like, Grell."

Amelia groaned and remained fuming in silence. ' _Why was it Grell of all_ beings _? A day, him and Sebastian together, doing whatever Grell wants with the demon. Oh, what could possibly happen?_ ' she thought sarcastically. She knew she wasn't jealous in any way; there was no reason to. The butler and her had only kissed twice with no strings attached at all or ever at all. It was all an act, a play, so then she reprimanded herself for fussing over a trivial matter. 

' _Well, it's not like Sebastian would even submit to the reaper's ways or at the least allow such a thing to happen. Oh, not unless... Ciel_ orders _him. I will_ never _let that reaper lay hands on—wait,_ what _?!_ ' Amelia shook her head and felt a headache coming on. She diverted her attention and thought of Elizabeth who is in danger and where she might be in that mansion right now.

However, Grell saying his/her/its thoughts out loud weren't helping the brunette at all, frankly.

"W—With  _tongue_?"

"...That depends on how you play it."

"Motivation Meter at Maximum~  ** _DEATH_** ~!"

" _Can we please just go_? We've still got to save my sister and your fiancée,  _Ciel_." she said sternly at his smirking face. Amelia soon found the whole ordeal annoying, because she feels he was doing this on purpose.

They made their way to the mansion's door, with the motivated Grell bursting it open. "Now let's get a move on!"

The group was welcomed by a child, a young lady around Elizabeth's age. They went near her and then they saw her wearing some ring that resembles the one Ciel has on his thumb. "So is that the 'Shard of Hope'?" The housekeeper asked and the earl gave her a nod.

The girl suddenly grabbed the cousins by their necks and strangled them. Her hold on them was strange for a child her age since she was too strong. "Wh-What the...? Uh-hah, h-help…!" Ciel looked to the side, maybe trying to call Pluto but the pooch was useless as of the moment.

"You useless mutt!" 

Amelia tried hitting the girl's weak point but her hand was sucking the air out of the brunette. Luckily for them, Grell was there. And she hated that. ' _So much for_ me _being useful,_ '

The gem looking thing from the chandelier landed on the girl's head which made her let the cousins go. "Now, now! Don't mistake which name you should be calling out." They both looked up at the reaper, posing casually atop the chandelier.

"Reapers have tools to hunt souls with… yes, their Death Scythes!" Amelia was expecting to hear the old noisy chainsaw but he/she/it brought out two puny scissors. The human lady snorted, "What ever happened to your noisy scythe?"

"Those are just normal scissors right?" Ciel states as a matter-of-fact. "I had no choice in the matter! Will took my custom Death Scythe away! Oh, how I long for those vibrations again!" he/she/it snapped at them and Amelia thought of Grell's situation as karma for what the Death God did.

The doll-like girl was already walking towards them. "Uh, Ciel? I suggest you step back a bit." Amelia warned, to which Grell acted while yelling, "I'll cut her to shreds!" The reaper suddenly jumped, aiming for the girl, thinking that the girl was  _actually_  a doll.

"Wait! Don't kill her! This  _isn't_  a doll!" Ciel ordered him/her/it to stop. However, as stubborn as Grell could be, he/she/it didn't listen and sliced the throat of the girl. The housekeeper waited for the Cinematic Records, remembering those, but nothing came out.

Ciel went near the body to check on her, but there was only sawdust that poured out. "Guess she was a life-sized killer doll after all." As the brunette stepped closer to him while speaking, he then got the ring on the girl's hand.

" _Mold it out of wood and clay, wood and clay, wood and clay~_ " somebody suddenly sang from behind the purple double-doors. It opened; creaking in the process as the man slowly came out of it. "This doll was a failure."

' _Ah, I assume that this man is... or was, Drocell Keinz._ ' Amelia looked up from the doll and towards the orange-haired man speaking in a stilted voice.

"I had thought, _'They needed to be made much, much stronger.'_ " He raised his arm up and waved it, "Make it out of iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel. Make it out of iron and steel, my fair lady~"

He sang once again, as four more of life-sized dolls came into view. Once they did, Drocell disappeared once again into the darkness of the other room. "Those girls are…" Amelia looked at Ciel, whose eyes were wider than normal in recognition of the group of young ladies with blank faces. "Are those the girls that went missing?" the brunette asks and a nod of confirmation came from Ciel.

"Those who interfere in the love between my Sebastian and I…" Grell started to run towards the girls, his statement pissing Amelia off again, "W—Wait, Grell!" She tried stopping him/her/it, yelling through gritted teeth but as she expected, she only ended up being ignored. "...will end up like _this_!"

Grell failed, since the dolls were actually made of steel. ' _But I thought a death scythe was able to cut through_ anything _? Ah, maybe it has its limits too?_ Maybe _._ ' Amelia pondered over it for a while, surprised at the uncanny event since the Death God proudly proclaimed before that a lamppost is nothing but a stick once against a Death Scythe.

"Grell, this is an order. You and Pluto are to play with the dolls here, _forever_. Mia, let's go!" a doll made a move to attack Grell, who was currently on the floor as the cousins ran towards the room Drocell came out of.

"Do you plan to leave me here? How _inhuman_!"

"You're a _Death God_ , Grell!" Amelia yelled out at him/her/it before they went out of sight. Running through the steps, Ciel finally spoke. "The dolls look like the kidnapped girls— _no_ , those are the girls themselves."

"Then, Elizabeth is..." Amelia bit the inside of her mouth cheeks, "No, it can't be. Don't tell me Elizabeth's been made to a doll too?" Ciel felt the same but decided not to reply to her, and gulped.

Bursting open a door to another room, they continued onward, until they heard Drocell's voice who was sitting on the railing the floor above them. "Ciel Phantomhive. You are incredibly beautiful. I will have to make you into a doll that befits such beauty."

"Hey, where's Elizabeth? Where is my sister?!"

"Ah. Amelia  _Midford_. You also have such astonishing attributes. I might as well make you into a doll. Now then, what to make it out of?" he didn't answer her question, held his hat and continued on. "Clay flows too much, iron is too brash, therefore I think…"

Amelia dragged Ciel now, running again since they find Drocell, who was supposed to be dead, strange and haunting despite his appearance. " _Make it out of gold and silver, gold and silver, gold and silver~_ "

The brunette opened the door at the other end of the room and saw a black room filled with white masks on its walls.

" _Make it out of gold and silver, my fair lady~_ "

It was weird and disturbing at the same time, because the masks suddenly sang along with Drocell but in a scarier voice. Ciel pulled his hand from Amelia's hold, bothered by the song and the room that he resorted to covering his ears. A trickle of sweat slid down Amelia's face, and the hairs on her neck stood; but she felt she had to look strong in the presence of her cousin so he too, wouldn't lose courage. It was difficult to ignore the masks, and she felt like her head was throbbing already. With a clenched jaw, the brunette ran faster and dragged Ciel up the staircase.

Closing the door, Amelia slid down and gasped for air. She didn't think it could drain her much of her energy. Her forest green eyes looked up at Ciel, who, was looking at the huge mark on the floor. "Are you alright? Ciel?"

"I'm _fine_."

" _Nothing good ever seems to happen on your birthday, does it?_ "

Amelia's eyes widen at the sound of the familiar man's voice. Confused and surprised, she slowly stood and wondered how long it has been since Sebastian arrived to where they were.

"You lose your  _mansion_ , your  _parents_ , and this time, will you lose  _Lady Elizabeth_?"

" _Sebastian_!" Ciel bellowed, clenching fists and Amelia frowns in disappointment over the butler's attitude and realization. As the wind blew, the curtains moved to reveal the butler sitting on the windowsill with a smug smirk on his features.

Amelia's eyes flew from him to Ciel, still silent as she observed the two. However, the pieces slowly mashed together in her brain: his birthday was the day the mansion burned, his parents died, with which led to Ciel in meeting Sebastian and giving up his soul.


	23. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Take it back, Sebastian!"

"And that is, what exactly?"

"Your impudent words!"

"Young Master, you said you had some _minor_ business to take care of, did you not? Does that certain _'business'_ involve indulging yourself in the serenity of  _despair_  in order to escape your  _pitiful_  past?"

Ciel decided not to reply anymore but Sebastian continued. "Did you not say at the Ice Top Market that both your body and that ring were things that had once been shattered already; and now that you have reached this point, you have no fear of them shattering for a second time?"

The housekeeper stayed silent, wondering why the butler had started to blurt those things all of a sudden. ' _...This is a different side of their relationship, I suppose. If it gets more out of hand, I'll have to tell him to stop it._ ' She thought. "There's no need for you to repeat the things I say." Ciel answered back, while Sebastian still maintained that annoying, smirking face of his.

" _Make it out of iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel~_ " they all heard Drocell's voice ringing out from behind the doors, along with the music. Ciel and Amelia quickly stepped away from it, since suddenly, the dolls entered the room.

"So, Grell got defeated by a bunch of… dolls?" wondered Amelia aloud, holding her cousin behind her in as much protection she can offer. Sebastian, on the other hand, got off the windows and stepped towards the two damsels in distress. "I see, they're manipulated through rhythm? In that case," the butler put his hands together as one would do when about to sing in a choir. " _Spin around from iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel~_ "

The dolls stopped in their marching tracks and began moving their heads from side to side. The butler went behind the doll standing at the center and sang again, " _Spin around from iron and steel, my fair lady~_ " he effortlessly bent the doll's head, breaking it.

He continued to manipulate the life-sized dolls with his song, thus eliminating them. He finished with going down on one knee, a hand to his chest in front of the two humans while he was still singing, "Spin around from iron and steel,  _my_  fair lady~"

The butler's wine eyes met with the housekeeper's forest green ones for a brief while, before they darted over to Ciel's figure.

The earl crossed his arms, "Who is this  _lady_  anyway?" Sebastian smirked once again, his eyes switching back and forth between the both of them; a naughty glint beneath them. "Who knows, Young Master?"

The brunette shrugs his actions off and pipes up, "Now that you're finally here we can go now and—?!"

"I agree, Amelia. We'll get out through here, Young Master." He cuts the housekeeper off; however, Drocell interrupts their attempts of escaping. " _Stop_. Ciel Phantomhive is already the Master's property." The young earl scoffed upon hearing such a ridiculous statement. " _Property_? Who do you think—?"

"The proof is that ring you have on your finger. The Shard of Hope is something the Master presents to those who will become dolls." The puppet man explained furthermore, not even pausing when Sebastian murmured his question  regarding the identity of Drocell's master. "Ciel Phantomhive will become a doll, along with Amelia  _Midford_ ; they will be exquisite dolls made out of gold and silver."

"Why should I turn into a doll? I don't even have the Shard of Hope with me." she murmured with furrowed brows. She began to think that she's being treated like another worthless person, who's better off as a doll.

Sebastian raised a hand and sang again, "Ah, but,  _gold and silver both get snatched~ both get snatched, both get snatched~_ " he quickly and easily scooped both Ciel and the lady, into his arms and left, jumping from the open windows.

They landed on a small bridge nearby and Sebastian lets the two down. "My, my—!"

A loud, ear-piercing slap cut Sebastian from what he was going to say. Amelia couldn't help but gasp and feel annoyed at the both of them. She was tapping her foot impatiently, thinking, ' _This is not the time for Sebastian to be more of a bastard than he already is and not the time for Ciel to pick the shattered pieces of his dignity. The three of us are all damned in some way, no matter what. Elizabeth is_ my  _priority, not their drama!_ ' The housekeeper ranted in her head while Ciel suddenly yelled his demands, but had to be cut off by the butler.

"What about Lizzie? Have you still not rescued her? I _ordered_ you to solve the kidnapping case. Saving Lizzie, who has been caught up in it, should have been the first priori—?!"

" _Orders_ and my _contract_ are two matters of a different standing. Just as you prioritize the Queen's doctrine at all times, _I_ must prioritize your _safety_ at all times. You are _my_ Young Master, whom I have protected and served so sincerely for all this time." He paused and blinked once, his eyes turning into those glowing, pinkish-purple ones. "I would _never_ allow someone to take you after so long." The master and butler stared at each other sternly without any more words spared.

Amelia cleared her throat to break their staring contest and make them look at her as she spoke through gritted teeth. "I see, now that you two have finished bantering, then I suppose that maybe we can rescue my sister?" Ciel ignored her though she had a point, and brought out the other Shard of Hope, putting it on the same thumb where he wore the family heirloom. "This seems to be the sign of who will be attacked next. Protecting me with two of these will be a back-breaking work." He smirked, raising his hand up to show it especially to the demon butler.

The brunette rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "Oh please, Ciel. We don't need to know that you're a masochist for enjoying the pain." as she said this, an angry vein appeared on Ciel's forehead, which earned him a short snicker from the butler. Soon as he recollected himself, Sebastian was going to say something, when the Demon Hound's howl broke the night's silence and cut off his supposed statement.

"Pluto?" Ciel wondered aloud. "I've searched the mansion high and low, but was unable to find Lady Elizabeth. All that remains is that sealed tower."

"What are we waiting for then, let's go." Amelia started to run, listening to the sound of the noisy barking of their unlikely pet, with Ciel and Sebastian following close behind her. As they arrived, they saw Grell pulling on Pluto's leash, trying to control it from just running off towards the tower.

"I'm surprised you're still alive, Grell." Amelia said to catch the attention of the reaper. But when the redhead turned around and saw Sebastian with them, he/she/it made a move to dive in and hug the butler. But Pluto beat him to it, using his/her/its head as a boost.

On the side, Amelia was snickering, seeing Grell's angered expression. "Ah, wait… is _he_ a Demon Dog?" Grell asked, realization striking him/her/it while pointing a finger shakily towards the two demonic beings. "You just noticed?" Ciel asked incredulously. Grell clenched both fists together before exclaiming, "A _feverish_ night with a _beast_! How immoral~!" Amelia shuddered once again, disgusted after hearing such a statement. Sebastian stared at the reaper with a bored face, not minding Pluto who nibbled on his shoulder. "You really have  _no_  standards." He turned his head to look down at the Hound, "I've been waiting for you."

"...You were?" Amelia asked with a raised brow, earning a sigh from the butler as he made his way closer to the tower's entrance. "Doors sealed with unearthly power can only be opened by a Guard Dog of Hell."

Once a few meters away, the collar Pluto wore began glowing and so did the door. Pluto dropped to the ground because of this, clenching on the collar before he transformed to his true form and howled.

"Oh~! He's so  _big_!" Grell commented, earning another dirty look from Amelia, and this time from Ciel too. After a few moments, the doors of the tower opened and Pluto rushed inside.

Amelia dragged Ciel once again, near the demon butler. The young earl complained once more, with regards to Pluto who ran away from them. "Again, he's—?"

"It's quite alright. We'll have him guide us through here." Sebastian reassured before they all entered the tower and went up the long flight of stairs. Arriving in front of a door on possibly, the last floor of the tower, Sebastian placed a hand on the knob first, while looking back at his master, then he turned it open.

Inside the room, there were used up materials for doll-making, scattered around various tables. "Elizabeth!" Amelia exclaimed, finally seeing her sister sitting on a wooden chair, with the blonde lady's head down. She ran towards her and Ciel followed, but stopped a few steps before Elizabeth and remained standing, to give her cousin the space he needs. The earl bent down to level with the young lady's face, "Lizzie… Lizzie!" he held her shoulders firmly, trying to wake her up. The brunette bit down on her bottom lip, feeling nervous.

"I guess we're too late."

Amelia's blood boiled up instantly, her head turning sharply at the reaper's direction and glared at the redhead, with a finger pointed at his/her/its face. " _Look_. You're lucky enough already that you're not  _human_ , because if you were, I would've ripped your throat to shreds already and skinned you right where you are." she spat out at Grell, before walking closer to Ciel's side. The anger quickly washed away and turned once more to worry as she caressed her sister's large curls, "Lizzie…  _please_ …"

Ciel continued to shake Elizabeth while constantly yelling out her name. The third time he said it, the girl slowly opened her eyes. "H-Huh?" Her elder sister's forest green eyes widened as a wave of relief passed through her. The housekeeper fought the urge to hug her tight and suddenly took a step back, realizing her mistake, and remembered that she was supposed to be a servant in front of her. "Thank goodness." Ciel murmured as he clasped his hands together by his chest.

"The ring…" Elizabeth noticed the other Shard of Hope the earl was wearing. "You liked it, right, Ciel?"

The little earl remembered about her sudden visit by the mansion earlier that day, because of that ring he was wearing. "That must have been the present she had for you." The butler commented while the reaper, bored, yawned in the background.

Ciel and the other two servants ignored Grell's presence anyway. "How foolish, why for me?" Before she could answer, her arms suddenly raised to their own accord and Drocell's voice was heard throughout the room. " _'_ _Why, I wonder?'_ " he says, as Elizabeth's body suddenly floated up in the air.

" _'Why is my body moving all by itself?'_ " Drocell manipulated Elizabeth's body, and an axe suddenly flew into her direction. " _'And… why is it trying to hurt the one I love?'_ " The young Midford's eyes widened.

"Elizabeth!" Ciel shouted as the girl raised the axe up and aimed to hit him with it. "Ci—Young Master!" Amelia pushed him over before he got hit, and managed to take his place. At this, Sebastian saves her from being sliced into two by holding her in his arms and moving her away. He lets go of Amelia once she was put to a safe spot.

Elizabeth kept screaming and crying, as her body moved once again to hit Ciel. As expected, the butler grabbed his master the same way he grabbed the housekeeper. He expertly dodged each attack made and said, "Grell, you can see it as well, right?"

The red reaper was tending to his/her/its nails with his/her/its death scy—scissors. "Yeah, I guess. But that blade might cut me." He/She/It answered with a bored tone while Sebastian caught the axe with his other hand. "Please?~"

The reaper lightened up so suddenly, "Oh my, Sebas _ **-chan**_ ~ Are you asking _me_ for a favor? Then, when we kiss, it will be with… with  _to_ —!"

"Don't you even  _dare_  continue that thought and just do what  _he_  says!" Amelia had stopped Grell from saying the disgusting thought by punching the redhead hard on the back of his/her/its head. ' _Yes, I am_ not _jealous. Grell is just terribly in heat all the time and needs to be put in place,_ '

"Hey! You didn't have to hit me! I just want to kiss him with tongue!"

The butler's face turned into a frown, his brows a little furrowed but stayed handsome, still. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I do tie cherry stalks with my tongue."

The housekeeper face-palmed, trying her best not to blush at his statement and focus on the problem at hand. Meanwhile, the redheaded reaper went crazy, his/her/its "Motivation Meter on Maximum Level" once again. Grell got the  _scy-ssors_  out and started to move. "To have a bigger weapon than I do when you're nothing but a little girl; that, I can never forgive!" He/She/It smirked and had cut something invisible on Elizabeth, not heeding to Ciel's request or rather, order to stop, fearing the reaper might hurt the girl.

Elizabeth's body fell on the ground, losing consciousness probably because of all that axe-wielding and fear that drained all her energy. Ciel dropped to the floor by her body, on his knees and same did his elder cousin.

"A puppet string."

The conscious cousins both looked up at Sebastian as he held said invisible string in his gloved hand. At this, Grell piped in, "Only a Death Scythe's edge could be this sharp. How was it Sebastian? I am so great am I not? Praise me, praise me~" Amelia rolled her eyes at the redhead and mumbled, "Yeah right, you said your scythe can cut through _anything_. How come it didn't work on the steel dolls? Pft."

Sebastian stood up, and spoke with as much fake enthusiasm as there is sarcasm in his voice. "Amazing. You are most skilled with a pair of scissors, are you not?"

The older Midford snorted at the statement and chose to hold her laugh in. "And the path of the thread leads to…" Sebastian's eyes trailed above,  directing his gaze to where Drocell was standing.

"I reasoned…" the puppet-man stated before moving his fingers and hands a bit, catching the other four below him in his puppet strings. "…that what it is I must use, to make the doll this time is…"

"Well, what are  _you_ made of?" Sebastian interrupted the man's thought, "What am I…made of?" Drocell replied, beginning to get distracted. "Yes. From what I can see, it does not appear to be a very strong material." The butler continued, still watching Drocell's every move.

"I reasoned, that I was supposed to be human however; lately, termites seem to be falling out of my ears." he inserted a pinky in his left ear, just to prove his point and the insects came and indeed did those termites fell off it. The butler used this opportunity to kick the discarded axe high up in the air to Drocell's height, surprising the orange-haired man. For a moment, he loses his balance from standing on the ledge, causing his hold on the strings to loosen as he regains his position.

The ones below him were then, freed from his strings and Sebastian caught the axe once again in his hand.

"Grell."

"Ah!~ Finally, we shall work together, united by our love! Sebastian!" he/she/it held his arms out to hug the butler, but the demon used the Death God's face for a boost. Facing Drocell, Sebastian murmured under his cold voice. "I feel no sense of duty, or passion for being a butler, from you." And with the axe, he hit Drocell's head, making the latter fall on the reaper who was still collapsed on the floor.

Landing perfectly on the ground again, Sebastian speaks, "As if _I_ would lose to someone with no passion."

"Ah, that's a passionate man for you!~"

"So, he was also a doll." Ciel muttered, looking at Drocell while he still held his fiancée. Grell stood up and reveals that his soul has been seized five years ago. " _Five_  years ago?!" Amelia said with a surprised voice. Grell hums in reply before continuing, "However, for some reason, there was a reaction to his life force," he/she/it shrugs nonchalantly. Sebastian contemplates over it, "A temporary soul must have been used by someone." he mused, and soon after that, Elizabeth regains consciousness. "Ciel…"

"Elizabeth, let's go back to the mansion."

"Ciel… I want to have a birthday party for you."

The young earl's visible eye widened, before his face turned to something that of a sadness. "Alright. Please celebrate for me." She smiled up at him before closing her eyes, her skin going back to its normal hues instead of the porcelain-doll-like tint she just had. "Just rest and relax. Everything is—?"

"I don't think it's over yet. I mean, look at him," Amelia interrupts, pointing to Drocell who was getting up shakily. "I reasoned… that I must… report to… the Master," He wobbly walked towards where his master was, with his stuffing falling out of the crack on his head. "What's with him? He's still trying to serve his master even when he's all messed up like this?" Grell commented, with both hands resting on his/her/its waist.

Sebastian commented with a smirk as they watched the puppet-man's suffering and endurance, "I understand him. After all, I am one _hell_ of a butler."

"M-Mas… ter…!" Drocell opened the white double doors before falling down, completely drained of life, the whites of his eyes showing.

The four of them went in the room, after making sure that Elizabeth wasn't lying on the floor and given a safe enough distance from where Drocell had led them to. Upon entering the dark place, they saw Pluto subdued by this 'Master', who, sat on a wooden chair facing the windows.

"Pluto?" Ciel said, causing the Demon Hound to look in his direction. After a few seconds, he licked the hand of this 'Master' and smiled. "Why, he's being friendly all of a sudden." Amelia commented, suspicious of the Demon Hound's actions.

"I do apologize. My butler was so incompetent, he couldn't even offer a proper welcome." The man seated with his back facing the group speaks with an arrogant voice, while Pluto proceeded to sit in front of him. Ciel speaks in his usual tone, "So, you're the culprit. Why are you turning young girls into dolls?"

"Flowers, eras and people… beauty is a fleeting thing. Doll-making is a blessed art that leaves behind the most beautiful and perfect things in this world."

"What bad taste. What's perfect about those nymphet—?!" Grell commented but was cut off, this time by Ciel. "Why were you targeting me? I have no intention of becoming one of your _precious_ dolls." he stresses on the word, sarcasm heavily hinted. He removed the other Shard of Hope from his thumb and threw it towards Drocell's 'Master'. Well, it only hit the chair actually, not the actual person.

"Please limit your insolence." The Master replied with a deep, kind of mad voice.

" _What_?"

"My butler's head was made from straw. I cannot fathom why he wanted you… or even that woman with you." He explained, and this time, dragging Amelia into the topic. The brunette points a finger at herself and looks back at Ciel and the person hidden in the shadows with an incredulous look on her face. "Why am _I_ suddenly involved in this?" she mumbled.

Probably they all heard what she said, but the man didn't mind as he declared, " _Ciel_ Phantomhive: you have carried the fate of death since your birth. That body of yours is already unclean." The little earl gasps upon remembering his past once again and frowned, "How do _you_ know about _that_!?"

But the man chose not to answer and changes his target, speaking with as much accusation and venom in his voice, "Amelia… _Midford_. You, on the other hand,  _were not_  supposed to exist anyway; a child born of temptation and sin. You're an utterly unclean existence whose soul was unfortunately fated to live with a  _very_   _unclean_  being that mocks the Most High."

This time it was the butler who had his eyes widened, while the housekeeper just held her head down; body shaking and her fists clenched in fury, remaining silent. Amelia had noticed how both Drocell and this 'Master' kept stressing on her surname, thinning her patience and self-control by the second. His words only echoed in her head, but she tried not to take them to heart.

"I cannot forgive the fact that  _you_ , humans like you, even exist in this world."

Ciel's eyes narrowed and Amelia looked up, taking audible and shaky, deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down.

" _Unclean_ …  _unwanted_ … and  _barren_. That's why I wanted to erase you."

"Take back what you said, you  _stupid beast_." Amelia said through gritted teeth. The chair begins to rattle, "Get rid of the unclean… Get rid of the unwanted and barren!"

"Get rid of it! Get rid of it!" his deep voice started to rise in its pitch, turning into a creepier one while repeating the same thing over and over. "Shut up!" the lady yelled, which was unladylike, as she ran forward. Amelia was going to punch the guy's face but drew her hand back with a gasp, surprised and rather, disappointed upon being met with nothing but just a life-sized rag doll. The 'Master' was also a puppet and it stopped its chanting, as the other three followed behind the housekeeper.

"What the actual…" she stopped herself from cussing, while Sebastian comments after her, "It was… a puppet." he too, was actually quite surprised. Amelia looked down and saw another doll, sitting in between the larger one's legs. The small puppet had shaggy green hair, puppeteer outfit with a bow-tie matching his hair and a face that resembled that much of a clown.

She raised a protective hand in front of Ciel since he stood behind her, feeling something wrong about to happen.

And it did.

The tiny puppet suddenly moved, making the cousins step back and Grell cling onto Sebastian's arm for dear protection. It floated and stared at them for a few seconds before it suddenly went crazy, screaming with his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his mouth wide open, revealing a bunch of sharp teeth.

It ran away, laughing diabolically as much as it could, making Pluto whine a bit at its disappearance. "Sebastian, go catch that thing!" Ciel ordered but Sebastian answered, "The one controlling that doll is not in the vicinity. There are unseen strings attached all around here." The butler simply stated while Grell sweat-dropped and shivered, behind him.

"How unpleasant indeed." Ciel sighed, few beads of sweat on his face. Amelia, whose anger had long passed, pat his back lightly and tried to show him a small, but comforting smile, despite the tiredness in her eyes.

* * *

"Sebas _ **-chan~**_!" Grell sang in a loud voice before catapulting him/her/it-self to the butler. "Now give me a long, hot kiss~!" the reaper had his/her/its lips pouted, ready for the kiss. Amelia shuddered, yet again, while Sebastian ducked and passed it off as a bow towards Ciel, making Grell fly above the butler's head and the Death God to land face-first into the ground. "What should I do, Young Master? Would you like me to take revenge for Madame Red right now?"

Grell got up and stuttered, "I—I mean… _fine_! The kiss can wait, 'til next time~!" he/she/it jumped high to the trees and left. Sebastian attempts, "Stop right the—!"

"Leave it be. It's fine." Ciel said, brushing a gloved finger over Elizabeth's cheek. "Elizabeth's here and I wouldn't want her to be bathed in any more blood." Amelia beamed at that and hugged Ciel from behind, making the young earl shocked. "Just let me hug you… since _I_ can't hug her." She says sadly, looking at her sister while stifling a yawn.

"Ah, about what the puppet said," Ciel began, eyeing her with one eye from being wrapped around her arms. This made his elder cousin pull back and fake a grin. "So, I guess we should all head back now because young children need to rest. Off to the carriage now, shall we?" she walked ahead of them, ignoring the subject. ' _Now's not the right time for Ciel, or anyone, to know..._ ' She told herself, feeling the gazes of the two men boring into her back, as they walked a few steps behind her.

They were all now, inside the carriage back to the Phantomhive manor. Elizabeth was sleeping on Ciel's shoulder while the head of the little earl rested his head on hers. Across them were the two Phantomhive servants. Amelia leaned her head towards the carriage's window, regaining as much energy as possible.

Sebastian gazed at her sleeping figure, the puppet's statement on repeat in his head.

' _…Whose soul was fated to live with a_ very unclean _being that mocks the Most High._ '

"So… is  _she..._ but I find it impossible to believe." he thought about it aloud, since all his human companions were too tired to be stirred by his smooth voice. ' _Myself, a demon of high stature and of great age, fated to spend the eternity of damnation with a mere human,_ ' he scoffs in his head, how preposterous it is indeed.

Sebastian shook his head in confusion with furrowed brows as he kept battling himself, "However, it could also be the reason why I am so distracted by her soul...? It smells _delicious_ , but there is something... that I have yet to put a finger on," one of them adjusts their position in their sleep and the demon decides to ponder on it in his thoughts. ' _...and the initial reason for marking her will not serve its purpose, since apparently she is..._ my _..._ '

His wine red eyes darted over to the housekeeper, who was taking steady deep breaths, snuggling closer towards the carriage's window. The butler didn't expect he'd let out a smile, a warm and genuine kind, while watching the human and listening to every beat of her heart upon straining his hearing. His eyes close, thoughts slowly going into content, ' _If it_ is _her, then I suppose it wouldn't be_ that _bad._ ' Sebastian reached out an arm towards Amelia, and hesitated for a short while, before he gently brought the girl's body close to himself and had her head rest on his shoulder while wrapping an arm around the brunette's own shoulder. The demon sniffed her scent. ' _Ah… how_ addictive _._ '

Amelia stirred around once again, now leaning in closer to the butler's body. Nearing the mansion, Ciel had woken up, causing Elizabeth to wake up after him. They both saw the housekeeper sleeping comfortably on the butler's shoulder. Elizabeth fought hard not to squeal so loudly since Sebastian had raised a gloved finger to his lips, telling them or rather, asking them to keep their mouths shut.

Ciel smirked more at the demon than at his elder cousin. "I can't believe that someone like you would resort to such. You must have realized something, have you not, Sebastian?"

"Ah, yes indeed, Young Master. I realized that you and Lady Elizabeth look quite cute together, especially when sleeping peacefully like the innocent children that you two are." Sebastian replies with a mocking smile on his face. 

The little girl blushed at the butler's statement and so did the young earl. "I-I wasn't talking about that!" Ciel kind of yelled out at the butler and so Amelia woke up because of it.

"Wait, what, who, how? What?! _Oh_... I'm sorry." Being startled by the earl's voice, she stuttered out random questions. Ciel's blush receded and went to direct his teasing smirk towards her instead. Elizabeth, at this, giggles at the brunette, who notices the young earl's look. "Wait, what are you smirking for, Young Master? How long have you been awake? Please do forgive me for sleeping in your presence." she played with the apron she wore with her fingers while her head hung low.

"Oh, it's nothing. We've all been awake for a while now and it's quite alright. How was your sleep?" it was obvious he was feigning the nice tone, and Amelia replies with much sarcasm. "For you to be concerned, why, it's an _honor_ Young Master." she smirked up at him, not so surprised at the boy's words.

"Of course, you are _special_ ; so, how did it feel like sleeping on my butler's shoulder? Was it comfortable?"

Silence.

She turned her head slowly to the side and just noticed she was sitting right next to the butler with little to no space between them. "What...? I was leaning on the window; hm... so that's why it was suddenly warm..." she clasped a hand over her mouth, embarrassed after realizing she just blurted her own thoughts out. "I-I mean...  _you_!" she moved away from the butler and pointed her finger at him.

"What was _that_ for!?"

"You seemed to be having a hard time in your sleep, so I only did what was right for a gentleman to do." he answered smoothly, his smile kind of mocking her. The Phantomhive earl had an evil grin spread across his face and Elizabeth's giggling seemed to have no more stopping as they witnessed the housekeeper blush a nice shade of pink. Amelia breathes and immediately directed her remark towards her cousin. "Ah, so it seems the Young Master is a gentleman as well, after all. The way you held Lady Elizabeth close to you was too adorable indeed. What do they call it, ' _young love_ ', was it?"

It was the housekeeper's turn to grin evilly at them. "Do you not think so as well, Sebastian?" If she can't do anything to damage Sebastian's pride or dignity, then she'll just put the blame on the dog's master. ' _Besides, he might've ordered the bloody demon to do that; what a bratty child,_ ' the brunette thinks to herself, and tried not to roll her eyes at Ciel while Sebastian replies, in agreement to her teasing.

"Don't you dare work together on us."

"We are just stating truths."

It went on like that for the whole trip back to the mansion.

In some other part of London, the small creepy puppet that had escaped was running endlessly. However, it did stop by at Angela's feet and the fair-haired woman picks him up. " _Get rid of them_." she muttered through her pearly-white teeth, repeating what the rag-doll puppet had said before she breaks him. With a smirk, she threw the puppet down to the river below the bridge.


	24. Unwanted Guest

As expected, the birthday party took place as what Elizabeth had requested, or more so insisted. It was just a simple dinner made of course, by the demon butler to nothing but perfection. No extravagant balls needed, much to the human servants' relief. Even so, Ciel's face clearly stated that the whole thing was very unnecessary. Amelia encouraged her cousin to just go on along with it, and be content that they were able to pacify her sister's need to hold a grand party for the meantime. But knowing Elizabeth, it's not possible to avoid such from occurring again in whatever future they hold together.

Everyone in the manor wore party hats, Tanaka being the exception because he was also, forced to put on the Antoinette wig. ' _I have to admit, he is too cute whenever he's not in his normal form._ ' Amelia thinks to herself as she watches the previous Phantomhive butler go, "ho-ho-ho".

They all sang Ciel the birthday song, and Sebastian served a Christmas pudding. He gave his master the first slice, and in it was the other Shard of Hope. This time, the butler uses this as an opportunity to put a twist to the tale: that having the ring in his possession will give him happiness. This, of course, made Elizabeth happy for her fiancé. Watching this, Amelia thinks that if she never really ran away, she might've been there too, forcing to hold a simple party for Ciel, which also serves as a celebration for rescuing Elizabeth successfully.

Things didn't stop at ensuring her sister's safety. Days have passed but the puppet's words still bothered the housekeeper. If she chose a different path, would it have said the same thing? Would it have said something different? The puppet haunts her at times, that even the music box couldn't soothe her. At this, she decides to just spend the rest of the night outside, taking a stroll through the garden or petting Pluto.

One night, she was holding a sketch book outside, attempting to draw the Demon Hound which stood under the moonlight. The brunette was sprawled on the well-trimmed grass, looking up at Pluto. For her, with little choices of scenarios to choose from, that one already felt nice to draw. She was busy with the finishing touches when Sebastian's voice startled her, ruining the drawing.

Amelia's jaw clenched as she tore it, much to her dismay. "What are you doing here, up so late Amelia? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I do wish you hadn't startled me with your ominous presence, Butler." The housekeeper rolled her eyes, tucking the pencil by her ear. A click of the demon's tongue had meant ' _I need your answer, I don't care for I can draw as many Plutos if you want me to._  Perfectly.'

She glared up at him for a while before letting out a heavy sigh, "Well… I find it hard to fall asleep nowadays. Don't worry, it's nothing much, and I'll get over it soon, hopefully," Amelia pauses, before steering the same question to him, as Sebastian nods at her answer. "And you? No plans of sleeping?"

"I suppose not; I thought I already told you that I don't _have_ to sleep? Well now, it's quite cold this evening. Let's get you back inside," Sebastian offers a gloved hand to the brunette, and the latter was surprised to see a bit of kindness in the action. She still thinks that it might just be his butler aesthetic, however, she won't deprive herself from this small ounce of humane emotion she found in him; it _did_ feel nice.

The two servants walked hand-in-hand in the manor's silence, with Sebastian placing his tailcoat jacket on her shoulders. She was suddenly reminded once again of the little, carriage incident. ' _The initial question was_ why _I found myself leaning on him, not how. Whether he did it for the purpose of me getting embarrassed or maybe... somehow, deep inside that demon's heart, he cared..._ ' Amelia steals a glance at him, before her brows furrowed. ' _Of_ course _, what was I thinking? Sebastian might_ not _even have a heart!_ '

"Probably, you're still thinking of the puppet, are you not?" the butler began, catching her off-guard and interrupting her thoughts. Amelia scrambled for an answer, nearly dropping her pencil, suddenly reaching to tug a few of her blown-away strands behind her ear. "Oh? _Oh_ , right, yes... perhaps, you could say that. Honestly, I think that puppet's the reason why I cannot sleep in peace. Even the music box can't fight it," They stop in front of her room, and Sebastian lets go of her hand to open the door as he speaks, "Is that so? I suggest that you _do_ get over that trivial toy, since in a few days' time, we'll be leaving for London again." Sebastian tries to change the topic of the conversation, and he hopes she doesn't notice it.

Amelia raises a brow at both his nonchalance and the information she received. "London, again? There's another case? When will you two be back?" the housekeeper asks, initially thinking that she would have to rest because she would be left in the manor to supervise the other staff. Sebastian leads her inside her room while the brunette returns her materials inside a drawer. "No, you misunderstood. You and I will accompany the Young Master on the Queen's errand," The butler watches her as he leans on the wall beside the door.

The housekeeper chuckles sheepishly, shutting the drawers before facing him. "Yes, why didn't _I_ think of that?" She cuts whatever statement he was about to say with a yawn, and she steps toward him to return the tailcoat. "Thank you,"

"It is my duty to inform you if your presence would be needed during the Young Master's endeavors." he nods his head with that smug smirk of his, and for the second time that night, Amelia rolls her eyes at the butler. "I already know that. What I'm thanking you for is your presence; for keeping me company tonight." She lets a small smile to her lips, and the butler bids her a pleasant night, and to have the sweetest dreams. 

As Amelia then yawns and shuts the door, she leans on it for a while before looking at the hand she used to hold Sebastian's gloved one. The puppet's words echoed in her head once more, ' _...fated to be with an unclean being. How very fitting,_ ' the brunette sighs and shakes her head lightly before heading towards her bed and lied down.

' _...very fitting for a certain butler I know. Then again, why must I believe the words of a mere toy?_ '

* * *

"How divine," A young Indian man muttered, about the age of sixteen or seventeen, with dark skin and purple hair in a ponytail that reached his shoulders. A few snowflakes got on his palm since his arms were wide open anyway, stopping the walk around the freezing night of London. "It's so cold. Agni, what is this?"

"It is snow; something which falls in England during the winter, My Prince." answered the other Indian with short, stark white hair with two long locks adorned with beads. He appeared to be the servant of the younger one.

"Snow...? Hm, England, huh?" the purple-haired one put his hands on his waist as he looked around with a small grin.

"It's exquisite."

* * *

Arthur Randall grabbed a letter off the cold, dead body of man that hung upside down, in front of an Indian shop. He grips on the piece of paper as he exclaims, "This is the _twentieth_ case!" He turned to look at Abberline, who stood a few steps behind him. "Have you still not apprehended the culprit, Abberline?!"

The younger inspector stuttered out an apology, to which Randall began to rant, "Failing to catch Jack the Ripper, doing _nothing_ but putting feathers in that brat's cap…!"

"That _brat_?" Abberline asks in confusion while reviewing the thick pile of paper he held. "By that, do you mean, Ciel Phantomhive?" He takes the elder man's silence as a yes and expresses his concerns, "I cannot help but feel that he bears some immense burden, even though he is still but a child." Randall looked at him from the corner of his eyes with a deep frown and furrowed brows. "A _child_?" he spats out with a lot of venom.

" _'A series of incidents targeting those who have returned from India'_?" the child they were just talking about read aloud from the first page of the pile which Abberline held, suddenly arriving and standing beside the young investigator. "M-Master Ciel!" Abberline quickly withdrew the set of papers, since it was, supposedly confidential.

"It seems there haven't been any fatalities yet," Ciel commented as he walked towards Randall and snatched the letter away from the older man's hands. " _'Crazy and lazy children'_ , huh? The culprit's choices of words are very accurate. I also think this country would considerably be better off, without the _nouveau riche_ who come back from India." the young earl commented as he continued to read the letter. "At any rate, this mark is…"

Randall grabbed the letter back as Ciel looked up at him, "They're making fun of us Englishmen and Her Majesty, the Queen! The culprit _has_ to be Indian!"

" _Ah_ , so _that's_ why I was called out. The vast majority of Indians who have been smuggled into the country are situated in the East End underworld society. Scotland Yard still has no idea of the exact number or their precise locations, has it not?"

Randall remained silent as his body started shaking with anger. Ciel continued to ignore him anyway. "There is no way we can sit idly while the Royal family is slandered." the earl took a step to his left, muttering,  "Let's go."

His two servants followed right behind Ciel as he walked ahead of them. When they were out of earshot from the two members of Scotland Yard, the butler began to discuss the case. "This is supposed to be the area where most of the Indians are hiding out." Sebastian said, following behind his master since they were, as it looked like, at the East End.

Amelia looks around with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes, "Ah, it feels as if it was just yesterday that I was here," Amelia murmured. Sebastian looks at her with a brow raised, "Then I assume you've been here, and is quite familiar with the place?" he asks. "You could say that." she looks at him with a tight-lip smile on her face, hinting that she didn't want to talk about it any further. 

Ciel was watching them both, not looking whatever was ahead of his track, making him bump into an Indian man who wore rags.

"Ouch! So painful! I think one of my ribs has fractured!" the Indian man held on his body, his face contorting with fake pain. "Damn it! I think I might _die_!" he added finally, catching the other Indians' attention. They started to surround the trio, spitting out violent reactions.

"Aren't you all a bit…  _overreacting_?" asked Amelia, annoyed by them. "Why not try doing theater, then; where you can express all this drama?"

Her words were ignored as the Indian man that Ciel bumped into began to order them around. "You'd better leave us with everything you have." To this, Sebastian turns to his master, "We seem to have been surrounded by rather, loutish thugs. Young Master, what are your orders?" He cracked his bones, waiting for his master's answer.

"Take care of this quickly." The young earl answered with a rather bored tone as his butler pulled on one of his gloves tight. "Understood."

The Indian guy in front of Ciel grabbed him by his collar and yelled, "All the Indians around here have a grudge against you English...!" He raised a knife to him but before he could hurt Ciel with it, Amelia  had already punched the side of his face, making the Indian fall over on his back.

"Never dare lay a finger on him while _I'm_ around," she glares daggers at the man before facing Ciel with a bit of concern, "Are you alright?" Ciel simply nodded and pulled his top hat down. Meanwhile, the guy got on his feet once again, "You bastards! After dragging us all the way here, you just throw us out like junk!"

"You raped and looted our country!" another guy, behind him spat out.

"Now it's _your_ turn to taste the humiliation of being pillaged!" he raised his knife up, about to strike the ones in front of him until somebody stopped them.

" _Wait_. We are looking for someone, have you seen this person?" another Indian guy appeared from a narrow alleyway, bringing out a sheet of paper with a poorly-drawn female in it. It seems this guy was someone better off. He didn't look or seem like the ones surrounding the 'dynamic trio'; that also includes the other Indian guy in green, following behind the purple-haired one.

"What do you want, you bastard! Don't interrupt me!"

"Oh come _on_ , he was simply asking a question! You could at least be nice to your compatriot," Amelia scoffed at the man she punched.

"Shut up!"

The two other better-looking Indians walked closer to the bunch. "Are you having a duel of some sort?" the guy that held the drawing tilted his head to look at the trio. "Oh, he has a _khansama_ with him. Are you one of the English nobles?" his attention was on Ciel.

"And if I am?"

"In that case, I shall side with my countrymen in this quarrel. Agni." He turned to the white-haired guy behind him. "Defeat them."

" _Jo ajna_."

This white-haired Indian, a bit taller than Sebastian, removes the bandages on his right hand, "My right hand blessed by God shall be wielded for my Master." At the mention of that, he suddenly sprinted towards the three. Amelia reacted quickly by carrying Ciel to safety, while the butler fought with Agni.

Some of the other Indian men, around three or four of them, surrounded the cousins, growling as they did. "My, my, you wouldn't think of hurting a lady, now would you?"

The only response she got was from a guy that started to charge at her and she sidestepped, kicking the guy in the shin. "Perhaps I'll take that as a  _no_."

At the same time, the two loyal servants continued on with their fight. "He's fast," Sebastian murmured as Agni kept hitting him. The Indian servant speaks, "I've hit your vital points several times now. You should already be paralyzed. How can you still move?" he took a step back, certainly surprised that the butler was still moving.

Amelia kicked a guy's head again and stepped back, carrying Ciel once again near Sebastian. "Hey! We were just passing through here! Are Indians barbarians who discriminate with no distinction?" Ciel shouted, removing his cousin's arms off him. At this, the purple-haired Indian seems surprised. "What? You people! Did you attack the little one over there for no reason?"

They kept quiet; and it seems that for both English and Indian, silence certainly means yes.

The guy crossed his arms, "That is not right! This time, my countrymen are at fault. Agni, take the little one's side!"

"Understood."

Soon as Agni said this, all the Indians there had been wiped out, on a pile there on the ground. "It's taken care of, Prince Soma." The purple-haired Indian happened to be a prince, and he bent down to pick up the ' _little one's_ ' top hat. "Well then, I was in the middle of looking for someone so I had better get going." He threw the hat towards Ciel, which the latter caught.

"English roads are too complicated. Let's head left next." Soma complained, walking away with Agni right behind him.

* * *

The trio had arrived at the London townhouse in the evening and the first thing Ciel says is, "I'm completely drained." 

"The culprit may have been one of those Indian people. Let us await Master Randall's report." Sebastian said, taking off his master's coat.

Upon hearing them, the four other servants came out to greet him. "Young Master. Welcome home!" Ciel spares them a nod and replies to his butler, "If I keep getting called out to London for all these trivial incidents, there will be no end to it."

The main door opened behind them, revealing that a certain Chinese man has come for a visit. "Ah! Earl! You really did come!"

"You're always so unannounced!" the earl complained, glaring at Lau. "I keep telling you, if you're going to visit, at least send a letter or something first!" Lau welcomed himself, faking a laugh, "Oh, you do? I didn't know!" Sebastian changes the subject, "Since we have a guest now, I shall prepare some tea."

Ciel put a hand to his head with his eyes shut and sighed exasperatedly, " _Fine_."

"I'd prefer an English Chai blend." A familiar Indian voice was heard. The Phantomhive earl still answered, realizing late that it wasn't Lau who said this. He opened his eyes and saw the two Indian men; Prince Soma and his servant, Agni standing at the doorway.

At a loss for words, Ciel just had his mouth agape and a finger pointed in their direction. Even Amelia's eyes widened, eyebrows raised as well. "Ah, I met them around the corner. They said they wanted to meet the Earl." Lau suddenly explained, seeing the young lad's reaction.

"Why are  _you_  here?!" Ciel questioned.

"Why? We got acquainted earlier, did we not?" Soma answered, entering the townhouse with Agni closing the door behind him.

" _Acquainted_?"

"And also, we  _saved_  you." Soma just kept walking freely inside, already making his way towards the stairs. The other Phantomhive servants just stared at him, and even made way for the Indian prince.

"Save… in what way?!" Ciel retorted, a tick mark appearing on his head. "In India, hosting for those whom you are indebted to is common sense. Is it the English way to throw such people out under such cold sky?"

Ciel slammed the door open to another room where the Indian prince went. "Who are you anyway?!"

"Me? I am a _P_ _rince_." He said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. The purple-haired Indian laid down the bed, posing with his head on his hand, and a smug smile on his face. "A prince?" Sebastian said, in which the others heard and had peeked behind them. Agni proceeded to formally introduce him, his hand gesturing over to the master he serves. "This personage is the Bengal Kingdom's Prince, the 26th Successor, Prince Soma Asman Kadar."

"I'll be imposing on you for a while, Little One~"

Sebastian's and Amelia's mouths were slightly opened. Finnian exclaimed in glee, "Wow! A Prince!" Mey-rin's hands rose to cover her mouth in surprise, "A—A Prince, yes!" Bardroy's reaction soon came after, "This is the first time I've seen a Prince in the flesh!"

"I shall allow it; you may come closer." Soma said and was acting as if he already owned the place. The three stooges plus Tanaka of course, went in and started asking questions. Lau came up behind the three who still stood by the doorway of the room. "So, you brought your servants this time?"

"Oh yes, Master Lau. We have a new guard dog to protect the manor while we're away." Amelia was first to turn her attention from the Indian prince to inform the Chinese nobleman, with the picture of the Demon Hound in her mind as they left him. "Well, that must be a relief." The brunette managed to put up a fake smile, thinking, ' _Not really. I'm still worried he might burn the mansion or something and we'll return to a bunch of ashes._ '

"Sebastian, keep an eye on them." Ciel muttered to the butler next to him, his eyes still fixed on the two, suspicious Indian men. "Understood."


	25. Oversized Child-Human to Die For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Master Ciel, it is time to wake up." A person with a thick accent, but held more tenderness than Sebastian's voice, muttered as he pulled the curtains to bring light into the room.

Ciel rubbed his right eye that had the contract's symbol, and opened his other eye instead. " _'Master Ciel?'_ " confused as to who man was, for Sebastian would never have addressed him in such a way. He got up quickly, shocked to see Agni there, instead of his own butler.

" _Namaste ji_ , Master Ciel!" Agni said with his palms together, a smile on his face. The young earl stood on his bed and yelled, "Wh-why are you in my bedroom?!"

Soma approached behind him, pulled Ciel through his night clothes and carried him like how a groom does to his bride. Only, Ciel didn't look like one. "We're going out, Little One. Show us around!"

"Why should I have to?! And I have a proper name! It's _Ciel_ , not 'Little One'!"

"Then  _Ciel_ , I ask that you be our guide. Come." Soma requested, jumping off the young earl's bed, and owner of such bed has been struggling to no avail.

Stopping Soma in his tracks was the Phantomhive butler, who blocked him by standing at the doorway. "Pardon for the intrusion, however, the Young Master has studies and work duties to attend to for today."

Sebastian's fake, mocking smile stayed in place as he waited for Soma to put his master down.

* * *

"They really are staying for good, huh?" Amelia murmured, not entirely pleased by this fact. Bardroy turned around to look at the housekeeper with an eyebrow raised. "Why? What's wrong about them? They seem nice."

Mey-rin arrived in the kitchen carrying the dirty dishes used during breakfast and had heard the conversation. "Who knew we would have a prince over here with us, yes!" Amelia simply rolled her eyes.

' _He's not that... great; Soma is more of a brat than a Prince, unlike what I assume our own princes are_.' she thought to herself. Amelia decides to answer Bardroy's inquiry with a shrug, "Ah, nothing. I just find his attitude rather infuriating," the two remained silent, and this probed the brunette to continue. "Plus, you might not believe it if I say that my gut tells me, being with them or having them around won't get us away from any mishap." She placed the utensils that were already washed and dried, back in their respective places before wiping her hands on her apron.

"Well then, I'll be ahead of you two. Please avoid making explosions and breaking things in the kitchen or any part of the townhouse. Asides from the fact we have _guests_ , we _hardly_ have any peace. Think for the Young Master's sake," She said, nearly like a female version of Sebastian, that Bardroy literally cringed and fought the urge to punch her in her smug face. For Amelia, this was her "wrath", which she warned them about some time in the past, around the time they pranked her and failed to take a photo of the butler. 

She plans on remaining that way until Christmas Eve, ' _I'll give those guys some presents anyway…_ ' the housekeeper smiled as she left the room, heading towards where she believes Ciel would be in, as part of his schedule. 

"While we're in London, I shall fill in as your tutor."

Ciel looked up and scowled at the demon-butler-temporary-tutor in front of him. Sebastian was smiling down at him in return, pushing the glasses he obviously didn't need using the edge of a violin bow. The earl remained silent as he scrutinized the piece Sebastian prepared, who then instructed him to play. "Bach's Chaconne? There's no way I can play a melody as complex as this,"

Sebastian used the tip of his violin bow to lift his master's chin up and smirks at the young lad. "While we're here, _I_ make the rules. Do you have any problem with my teaching methods?"

The little guy scowled deeper, batting away the butler's bow with his own. He brought up the violin into its position, under his chin, raised his bow over the strings for awhile before playing. A few minutes into it, Sebastian praises him, "See? You're doing wonderful, Young Master."

"It's great to know that he's no longer tone deaf." 

Ciel shot his eyes open but still continued to play while Sebastian turned around to see Amelia going in the room with an amused smirk on her face. "I do believe there is still work to be done." Sebastian stared at her with a straight face, stating this like she should go away. The housekeeper paid no mind to what could be a threat, and took this chance to bully her cousin even more. "Yes, Ciel should work on playing it from the heart, instead of just reading it. The music loses its  _soul_ ," she grins smugly at them both.

Sebastian only narrows his eyes while Ciel decides to reprimand her. "Get out of here, Mia. You're distracting me." The brunette musters the best pout she can and feigned hurt. "Am I, Ciel? I just thought of giving you some support."

"You don't have to, Lady Show-off. The number of instruments you know to play are of insignificance." her cousin spat at her, still playing. Amelia scoffs, more offended than flattered. "I am _not_. I only learned the _basics_ of some instruments, but I have always preferred the piano above all. The violin comes in second."

"Might I ask how many instruments did you learn to play?" Sebastian intervenes, but is truly intrigued. Amelia shrugs, already leaning on the grand piano at the other end of the room. "Only a few; but it's not in the number of instruments you play. It's in the music and message you deliver that's important," 

Ciel rolled his eyes at the housekeeper, but let her be. Besides, these were the few moments that Amelia is able to be like herself since she was without the presence of the other servants. Her upper body swayed to the music playing and she lifts the fall board. "Here, let me accompany you." Amelia smiles softly, placing her fingers lightly above the keys, grazing it. "You don't even have a music sheet with you." Ciel grumbles out, to which the brunette just smiled. She begins playing the piano, but not to overpower the violin, since the piece was made for solo violin. The lady accompanied her cousin, even closing her eyes as she enjoyed the music and the little bonding time. Ciel eventually shut up, and even if he didn't admit it, he liked his cousin's company. 

Sebastian watched them both, and noticed how Ciel's performance improved in the slightest with the encouragement from the brunette. He remains straight-faced, but deep inside he was somewhat pleased. At Ciel or at Amelia, that is to remain a secret and to the demon's discretion.

Everything was in perfect harmony, only for a short moment.

While Amelia was playing her part, deep murmuring and chanting entered her ears that made her accidentally slam her fingers onto the keys hard, which also made Ciel stop.

"Now, that's just great. I was so into it already." The lady sighed after murmuring, pouted as she stood up, looking at the Indian men in one corner.

"What on earth are they  _doing_?" Ciel scowled. The two Indian men were on their knees in front of this huge, bronze statue. Amelia tries not to look surprised since Lau was also with them. She holds her tongue, hoping that her cover wasn't blown yet and decides on keeping her questions to herself,  _'So... I suppose that statue is something religious? But how did they get it in here without at least_ one of us  _noticing? And since when did they_ have it  _with them?_ '

The dynamic trio went closer to the Indians while Lau answered for them, "It seems that they're praying. Isn't that a rather, fantastic idol?"

"All I can see is a statue of a woman carrying a head, with a necklace of heads around her neck as she… dances on the belly of a man." Sebastian's voice made it clear that he didn't like this statue.

"She is one of the Hindu gods we worship; the Goddess Kali." Agni says, pausing in his praying.

"Indian Gods, you say?"

The Indian servant began to explain. "Kali is the wife of the God, Shiva the destroyer and also, a Goddess of Power." Out of nowhere, Agni suddenly held a painting on his hand. There was a back of a woman with long and wavy lavender hair with four arms, each holding a sword. In front of the woman was a man, with a long bushy beard which gives off the vibe that he was a dangerous person. "In our faith, in far distant times, a certain demon foolishly challenged her to a duel."

At this, Amelia raised an eyebrow, a smirk making its way to her lips as she spared a glance up at the live demon, before turning her attention back to Agni. 

The next painting that Agni showed was something that people with weak stomachs wouldn't be able to handle. This time, it was the front of the woman. Her eyes were wide and wild, while her lips spread into a most insane grin, that it reminded the housekeeper of the puppet they encountered a few weeks back.

Kali was depicted as covered and dripping with blood, as she held the severed head of the demon. Agni continues, "Of course, the Goddess Kali won. However, she was unable to quell her destructive urges and went on a rampage of death and destruction. But then!" He lowers the painting and his voice pipes up with passion, "In a bid to defend the earth, her husband, the God Shiva, lay down at her feet." Agni pointed majestically towards their statue that showed just that.

Ciel looked at it in revulsion; Amelia raises a brow, mildly surprised, while Sebastian just seemed fascinated by it.

"Having stepped on her husband with her unclean feet, the Goddess Kali returned to her senses and peace has once again returned to the earth. Kali is a great Goddess who defeated a _demon_ after a mighty battle. As proof of that, she has his head in her grasp." Agni's voice gradually returned normal and ends the account of their gods. "The statue itself shows her story."

"So he says," Ciel said, looking at the butler behind him. Sebastian doesn't meet his master's gaze but is looking on at Kali's statue. "To think there was someone as strong as that… I will have to be careful if I ever go to India." He murmured, causing Amelia to cover her mouth, muffled chuckles erupting from her. The butler glares at her, and she knew she finally had to calm down. The housekeeper mouthed him an apology, smiling sheepishly at him and noted to herself that she had to keep her emotions in check.

' _Ah, but it was his fault for taking it too seriously; as if_ I  _would expose him,_ '

Soma stood up, his hands still in their prayer position. "Well then, we're done praying so let's go out!" The prince wrapped his arm around Ciel's shoulder and started dragging him towards the door. "As I said, I am busy!" the young earl screeched in complaint. 

For some reason, and whatever method it was, the English noble and his butler managed to make the bouncy Indian prince wait, for as long as a few hours.

"Hey…" Soma yawns, "…when are you going to finish? What are you even doing anyway?"

"You're distracting us! Be quiet!" Ciel yelled at him, blocking Sebastian's attack.

"Hmm, English people are so short-tempered, aren't they?" Soma murmured a little too loudly and Amelia tried to control herself from scoffing, thinking that a brat even has the gut to speak about his fellow brat that way.

The brunette turned back to look at the other two as they fenced. ' _It sure brings back memories… Ah, those were the days when people called me the prodigy. But now Elizabeth is more suitable for it.'_  She thought tapping her chin with her finger.

Ciel stopped and yanked the foil out of Sebastian's hand. He turned to Soma; a few shades of pink tinted his cheeks as he scowled with wide eyes. "Enough! I get it! If you want attention so _badly_ , then be my opponent!"

The young earl tossed the foil at Soma in which the latter caught with ease. "So then, if I win against you you'll have to come with us!" The prince stood up, accepting the challenge.

" _If_ you can."

"Good luck to you, dear Prince." Agni said as he poured a cup of tea.

Ciel got into position while Soma just stood there with a smug look on his face. Sebastian went to the middle, raised his arm up. "Well then, begin!"

"I've got you!" Soma yelled, hitting the foil towards Ciel's ankle. "It _bent_?!" his face turned into shock, and Amelia sighed, shaking her head, not bearing to watch this childish play orchestrated by the kids she has to look after.

"There's no benefit to hitting the foot with a foil." Ciel wielded his own, causing Soma to back up, barely avoiding the young earl's attack. Soma looks frantic, "T-That's unfair! I don't know the rules!"

Ciel smirked, "A match is a match, it's your fault for not knowing!" he rushed towards the prince.

"My Prince! Watch out!" Agni got in the way, blocking Ciel's attack with an empty cup and jabbing two fingers to Ciel's pressure point on his arm. The earl's arm went numb, dropping his foil. He knelt to the ground, clutching his injury.

"Ci— _Young Master_!" his cousin rushed to his side and sent Agni a death glare. "What the _hell_ was that for?" she tried to sound calm but she couldn't hide it.

Agni gasped at what he'd done and knelt in front of him. "I'm so sorry Master Ciel! I—I acted on reflex when I thought Prince Soma was going to lose—!?" Soma's laughter cut him off, and Amelia simply glared at them back and forth. "Agni! You protected me well! I give you my praise!"

Amelia could only clench her fists in anger, and was thinking of snatching the foil and fighting him herself, especially after Soma said proudly, "Agni is an extension of me since he is my servant, therefore it was _my_ win!"

"Th—That's ridiculous!" Ciel complained. The brunette started to take deep breaths to calm herself down; ah, brats are a handful.

Lau on the other hand, picked Ciel's foil up from the floor, bending it. "My, my, it looks like you will have to avenge your master, Mr. Butler." The Chinese man tossed the foil towards the raven-haired butler, who, caught it with ease.

" _Good grief_. Young Master, this would never have happened if you didn't provoke the bratty prince." Sebastian sighed sharply, looking at his pocketwatch in disappointment. "However as the butler of the Phantomhives', I cannot merely sit back and watch, now that my Master has been injured." Keeping the pocketwatch, he walked closer as Amelia helped Ciel up, directing her annoyance into concern instead and made him sit on a chair nearby. 

Sebastian looks at the cousins, more at Ciel than Amelia, "All else aside, we are ten minutes behind schedule." The master frowns, "So _that's_ what you're really irritated about." 

"How interesting. Fine, I will allow a duel." Soma declared, before handing the foil over to Agni who was still kneeling on the floor. "Agni, in the name of the Goddess Kali, do not lose."

"Sebastian, this is an order. Shut that brat up!"

The two faithful servants answered.

_"_ _Jo ajna."_

" _Yes, My Lord."_

Amelia stood in between the two and raised her arm up. "Let the duel, begin!"

The edges of their foils swirled around each other.

Alright, the battle is not short of intensity, that's for sure. Amelia was impressed, more at Agni for being able to keep up with a demon. She couldn't help but wonder if _she_ were to go against Sebastian, whether she can be at least on same level as him. 

Of course, when that moment comes, curiosity shall kill her. 

But can  _he_?

Nearing the end of the duel was when the servants both bent their heads back, avoiding each others' attack to the other's eye. Spectators had their eyes widened. Both stepping back once again, before rushing towards each other.

The foils met by their tips and since the two men were too strong and the force they applied on the fences was too much, said foils snapped and broke in half.

"Oh my, the foils snapped."

"It's a draw?" Amelia was shocked. She expected Agni to lose after that, but this was probably the first time she saw a human to be on par with the demon. She began to doubt if Agni was even a human or another one like Grell.

She hoped that if he wasn't human, he wasn't a Grim Reaper as well; she's had enough.

"Ciel's _khansama_ is pretty good too!" Soma commented while Ciel looked at the two servants with wide eyes, thinking the same way Amelia did, 'He  _was on_ par _with a_  demon?'

"Agni is the best fighter in my palace. This is the first time I've seen anyone be an equal opponent with him!" 

' _Could he at least keep his voice toned down a bit?_ ' The brunette thinks to herself. She and Ciel both walked towards Sebastian, and the latter whispers, "Sebastian, just _what_ is that man?" Amelia followed soon after, "He's not like… ' _that'_  guy, right?" Sebastian, understanding what the two meant and as if really seeing the image of Grell doing his catchphrase and signature pose, confirmed that Agni was a human.

"No worries. He is definitely a  _human_  to die for."

"True… for him to have that much power," Ciel started, looking into the direction of the Indian guy. "Indeed. Hanging people would be a simple task for him." Sebastian suggests. "So it must or could be _him_ , is that what you're implying?" Amelia questioned and the two nodded. She clicks her tongue, shrugging in agreement. "Ah, I knew they were trouble when they walked in."

The two stared at her as she finally said, "We just have to…  _watch over_  our beloved guests with perfect hospitality, don't you think so?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I updated three days in a row and I seem pleased with myself. Haha thanks for sticking with the story until now! See y'all in two or three weeks time?


	26. Suspicious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Alright! Today I'll use all my skill and cook—!"

" _I_ will make the preparations. It's best if you just stay put and out of trouble." Sebastian grabbed the pan which the chef held, as he walked past the blond.

"What the—?! I was going to make my special dish today; the—?"

"Mr. Sebastian? I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help." Agni cut in on their conversation, his soft knocking muted by the chef's loud voice. Bardroy had to pause midway through his complaint. The Indian man was standing by the doorway, with hopeful eyes.

Sebastian tries to shoo him away more than to reassure Agni, "It is all in hand. You should instead rel—?" But as Amelia brings out a set of utensils and some pans needed, she spoke, "Well Sebastian, don't you think that's _considerate_ of Mr. Agni? After all that he did earlier, let's say I'm still quite upset by it."

Agni looks sheepish and apologetic, "Y-Yes, I still could not believe I let myself get carried away. And I do agree with you, Ms. Mia. Six hands are far better than four; please let me know if there is anything I can do."

Sebastian glances at Amelia to see her reaction for a short while, only to see a poker face; he then puts on his fake smile to answer the white-haired Indian, "Alright then, might I ask you to help with preparing the gooseberry sauce and cottage pie, for tonight's main dish."

"Hey, why'd you let  _him_  cook when _I'm_ the  _chef_!?" Sebastian ignored Bardroy's rambling, continuing to walk away. " _Are you doing this on purpose_?!"

" _Ah_ , I'm _so busy_. So many things to do…" the demon simply murmurs, making it a point he's not interested in Bardroy's drama. He walks past Agni and narrowed his wine eyes at him as he did, which wasn't left unnoticed by the housekeeper, watching the whole ordeal with hidden amusement as she stood in silence. As soon as Sebastian left the kitchen, Bardroy huffed loudly, pride broken, and sat down with his hands crossed behind his head.

To break the awkward atmosphere, the brunette turns to Agni and spares him a small smile, now that he was going to help. "By the way, Mr. Agni… it's fine if you just call me Mia." The man nods, finally feeling a little more comfortable as she thinks, ' _Well, it wasn't entirely his fault. Besides, I can't really stay mad at someone for something so childish._ ' 

Amelia pats his back lightly yet firmly, as reassurance and to wish him luck with what Sebastian has told him to do. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I have to attend to other things. And Bard _-fro_ ," The chef grunted, about to light a cigar before he looks up at her. "Make yourself useful _in the kitchen_ , just for once. Don't leave Mr. Agni do all the work. _And spit that cigar out_." she made her point, with an arched brow raised, before leaving the kitchen as well.

Agni watched her retreating back, before turning his attention to the only other servant left in the vicinity. "Chef? Excuse me, Mr. Chef?" Bardroy is surprised, upon realizing how Agni referred to him. The blond man quickly lightened up and stood, pointing his index to himself. "Ch— _Chef_? You're talking to _me_ , right?"

"Yes, I am."

Bardroy's eyes sparkled even more when the Indian explained, "I am not at all accustomed to English cuisine. May I ask for your assistance?" Bardroy grinned and raised his fist up. "Sure! Leave it to me!"

After a bit of time, the two managed to help each other. Bardroy was properly chopping the onions, wearing goggles with a grin on his face as he had an unlit cigar in his mouth. For the first time, he seemed to be actually cooking something; and the kitchen was still a kitchen.

The back door opened, revealing Finnian who eventually drooled from the delicious aroma of food being made. "What's for dinner tonight?" 

Agni took notice of the gardener's arrival and beams, "Young man! You came just the right time!" He stated as he lifts a lid of a pot. "Can you help us make dinner for tonight?" he smiled at the younger blond. Still peeking from the doorway, Finnian answered, "Oh, me? But I'm strong and clumsy so Mr. Sebastian said I wasn't to touch any of the kitchenware."

"If you're strong then that would be wonderful!" Agni got a potato out from the pot after reassuring him. "We're supposed to strain these potatoes after crushing, but it's quite a demanding task!"

Finnian went in the kitchen with a big, wide grin on his face, volunteering himself. "I should be able to do that! I want to! Please let me!" The Indian butler gave Finnian a bowl of steaming hot potatoes and a metal tool for him to mash them.

The three men worked in peace and harmony, making steady progress in the preparations, and in the most humanly speed possible. Amelia returns to the room to check on and probably help them because even if the kitchen wasn't exploding yet, she was about to, from entertaining a little pirate kid and a childish prince. "Dealing with kids like  _them_  is most certainly, not an easy task." She mumbles to herself, yet was heard by Bardroy as she passed by him.

Agni also heard her and looked at the brunette with some sort of a sheepish and apologetic expression. "I do apologize for the Prince's behavior, Miss—!?"

" _Mia_." She quickly corrects him, with a raised brow. 

"A-Ah, right, yes…  _Mia_."

"But _you_ can deal with it since you're like Sebastian's equivalent; like a female version of him. Just that... he's the butler, and you're well-suited as a nursemaid." Bardroy smirks at the housekeeper, and the latter responded with a scowl. However, the smirk was completely wiped from the chef's face the moment Amelia grabbed a knife from the nearest table. And that's when she noticed that her two Phantomhive household companions were actually working quite well with Agni's supervision. 

"What a pleasant surprise! _You_  finally managed to cook without turning the kitchen to debris and ash, Bard _-fro_." She suddenly smirked back, whilst holding the knife next to her face, and then the smirk slowly turned into that of a sadistic smile when she sees Bardroy slightly terrified and Agni's worried expression. Even Finnian saw all this as he did his job in one corner of the room. 

"You're so  _mean_  to me." The chef complains, turning away from her and continuing his job. "I never knew being honest was considered being mean," as Amelia said this, her eyes looked to the gardener, who was now relaxed that the knife was lowered. He resumed in happily mashing the potatoes.

Amelia took a step back to look at them all once more. "Is the world... about to end? I mean, surely that's not Finny right there?" The younger blond grinned up at her in response, waving the metal mashing tool for a bit and continued to enjoy the task he was doing.

"But it's still me, the Chef, who's doing the cooking,"

"Mhm, tell that to Agni. And you call yourself a Chef, but even the housekeeper cooks better."

"Whatever Mia! Ow!"

The brunette hits the back of Bardroy's head, "Shut your mouth, we don't want your saliva mixed with the food we're preparing." When he does what he's told, Amelia smirks in triumph. ' _Ah, Bard. When ever will you get the last word?_ ' 

Amelia went to her own space, grabbing a chopping board and a plate. "Well then, since there's some fish here that needs to be sliced, I'll get on with it." 

* * *

"Uh-oh…" Mey-rin muttered as she failed in her attempt to get the plates out of the wooden cabinet, without falling. Flailing her right arm that still held a bowl, she wobbled ungracefully and loses her balance.

"Watch out!"

Agni caught the maid in one arm, while catching the four plates between his fingers and the bowl on the crook of his elbow. "Are you alright Miss Maid?"

"Y-Yes, I am…" Mey-rin looked up at him with a few shades of pink tinting her cheeks.

"When taking down plates from high places, it is best to move them one at a time." He advised her, handing her the rescued dishes. They both went back to work, with friendly smiles on their faces. 

The Phantomhive butler felt that it was quiet, rather  too quiet, which was extremely rare—and that doesn't mean a good thing either. So, he returns to the kitchen to see if they were all dead or they all quit their jobs.

"Really? I do hope I could taste something like that, Agni." It was Amelia's voice that he heard first, from the outside of the kitchen; her, obviously talking to the Indian guy.

The butler narrowed his eyes.

"How are things going, Mr. Agni?" The butler spoke upon opening the doors and when he opened his eyes, Sebastian stopped in his tracks, surprised at the sight that was before him: Agni pouring peas and butter into a frying pan, Bardroy was peeling carrots, Finnian was mashing potatoes, Mey-rin was washing and cleaning the dishes and Amelia slicing the fish with a smile on her face.

"Thanks to everyone's hard work, it looks like tonight's meal will be delicious!" Agni said, finishing up with one thing and starting the next. 

Sebastian froze by the doorway, eyes wide with his mouth slightly open. Amelia snickered at his reaction, her shoulders shaking as it turned to an amused chuckle. "Hey Sebastian, you look like you've just seen a ghost."

An icy glare was sent towards her and she only raised her brows, and continues with her work. Sebastian made his way towards her and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows upon removing his tailcoat. "Mey-rin needs help with the dishes," he murmurs to her, grabbing the knife from her hand. 

Amelia grins and crosses her arms on her chest, "Ah, it's rare to see you genuinely surprised... and rather, quite threatened?" She speaks her mind before truly replying, "But I don't believe so; Mey-rin's doing fine on her own, do you not think so too, Agni?" The brunette smiles at the Indian guy who was now standing beside her, nodding while holding a rolling pin in his hands.

Sebastian's face remained blank, looking at Amelia, and sighs. "Fine, I shall say it so bluntly since you wouldn't listen," he picks the plate of sliced fish and raises one to the housekeeper's face. "This is not the right way to fillet a mackerel, and you've wasted such freshness."

He hands her the plate, and she can hear that Bardroy was snickering. "Please clean this up and proceed with your other duties." Amelia's grin died down to a small smile, and managed to let out a scoff, despite the embarrassed blush lightly forming on her cheeks. "Ah, you should've said so _sooner_." Her tone was quite sarcastic and upon turning away from him, Amelia glares at Bardroy. 

Meanwhile, Sebastian was working on a new piece of mackerel, and the brunette finished cleaning and tucking her "mistake" for some other time and other dish. "I'm getting some fresh air. The room's too stuffy." The housekeeper spoke to no one in particular with a loud sigh, footsteps a bit heavier than usual as she went her way out the kitchen and slamming the door. Sebastian's eyes stared at the door for a while before turning back to the fish.

"You're quite amazing to have got that lot to help you." He was now talking to Agni. "Everyone is born with their own talent. They have a path and duty laid out for them by the Gods. We children of the Gods abide by that and do what we can." Agni replied.

"You are a most well-rounded individual, aren't you Mr. Agni?" Sebastian commented.

"Oh, not at all. I was a hopeless fool until I met the Prince. I will be, forever in his debt." The Indian servant had a flashback, reminiscing his old ways. "I injured those around me, strayed from the Gods and accumulated many sins." An image of his wild self flashed through his mind, and his hair was still long.

"Finally, my day of judgment came," this time, he recalled the depressing day of his life, while the rope was slipped around his neck. "Without leaving any attachment to the world…"

" _Hey you! They say you're a wild man as strong as a beast! Sounds interesting!_ " Soma said from the crowds before jumping onto the platform Agni was on. The people who came to watch Agni's hanging were murmuring their violent reactions.

Walking closer to Agni, he brought up his knife and cut the rope off him, along with his pretty long white hair. He looked at Soma in shock. " _The person you were before is now dead! You will be reincarnated with a new name and new life._ "

"To me, who had not even believed in the Gods… who had thrown everything away, a God appeared! Indeed _that day_ , I saw the Holy Light of God within the Prince!"

"Mr. Agni, the pot is boiling over." Sebastian murmured as he walked behind Agni towards the pot with an indifferent face. "The Prince is my King and God. Therefore, I will use this new life to protect the One who gave it to me, and grant as many of His wishes as I can."

Sebastian's expression remained the same, disinterested and quite uncaring, stirring on the contents of the said pot. "Well, the real gods are all good-for-nothings anyway…" he commented idly.

Agni's eyes widened a bit, slightly taken aback. "Did you say something?"

" _No_. Nothing at all." Sebastian said with a devious smirk as he put the lid back on the pot.

* * *

' _No matter how I look at it, everyone including myself... are all annoying and annoyed people; why, though?_ ' Amelia thought, sitting cross-legged on the grass of the townhouse's garden, and just staring straight ahead. She scratched her head, "Karma bites back real good; I nearly cut my finger and could've served it with the mackerel."

"So it seems you still have not gotten over the fillet?" 

Amelia looked to the side and up, her forest green eyes meeting with the demon's wine red ones. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I should be the one asking you that."

Amelia looked down, and smoothed the edges of her uniform's skirt. "It's as I said, I needed some fresh air. The room was too stuffy and dealing with a bunch of annoying people just got to my nerves, which is very tiring." She lied down on the grass, her arm covering her eyes. She heard the grass ruffling a bit, and when she peeked from under her arm, she saw Sebastian sitting beside her, his legs sprawled out before him and he was leaning on his elbows. "Then it means that I top that list, correct?"

"... _S_ _ometimes_ , but today there has been quite a competition."

"Would you like to know where _you_ stand in _my_ list of annoyances?"

Amelia grins, and removes her arm from her face, sitting once more and looking back at the leaning butler. "I would much rather not; I know you're quite  _fond_ of me, Sebastian. I wouldn't want to be last on _any_ of your 'lists'." Of course, sarcasm was heavily hinted in her words, making a corner of the butler's lips curl up in the slightest. ' _If only you knew..._ '

He watches her for a while, watching loose strands of her curls flow along with the wind. "Well, that's enough small talk. We must head back now," Sebastian made a quick move to stand, brushing off whatever dirt, grass or weed that got onto his pants.

"I'm not so sure I want to," 

"Oh please, _Amelia dearest_ ,  _I_ have been dealing with a real kid for about two years already. What you're doing is  _nothing_ against what I've endured as a dutiful butler." 

The housekeeper chuckled, "This is the first time I'm hearing you to actually  _complain_ about your work." She grabs the gloved hand offered to help her get up on her feet. "Nonsense, I was merely stating the facts." His hand lingered, loosely holding the brunette's hand before letting go and ushering her to the back door.

"By the way, Sebastian..." she turns away from the door and faced the demon behind her, lowly murmuring, "Although he's a bit suspicious, Agni has better... leadership skills than you. Friendly tip: maybe you can _try_ to adopt his methods so we can avoid daily explosions."

"There's no need for you to compare me to him."

"I wasn't comparing _you_ to him, I was referring to his way of... handling the other staff; if you want, you can just admit that even for one _hell_ of a butler, a mere human is better at something than you." she smirks seeing his eye twitch. Sebastian sighs inwardly, "Ah, so you _like_ Mr. Agni, then?"  

"Wh-what-?! No! No, I don't. I mean, he's okay but..."

The butler raises a brow, "'But'?" Amelia catches him staring intently at her, and she feels herself blush lightly. "He's suspicious," 

"And if he wasn't?"

"Then he is  _not_. Seriously, where is this coming from?" she huffs, looking away from the butler. Sebastian simply nods and avoids her question, "Well, since it was your idea to adopt his way of treating the rest of the servants, I suggest  _you do it yourself_. Besides, you were able to witness it all, more so than I did." 

Amelia rolls her eyes at the butler and faces the door once more, her hand tight on the doorknob. "It's during these times when I don't like you," She mumbled, which wasn't left unheard by the demon's sensitive ears. "I am quite hurt by your statement." Sebastian raised a fist to his chest.

" _Whatever_ , Sebastian."

The butler smirks slightly, triumphant and they finally enter the townhouse once again. "Well now, come along. We must serve the Young Master his dinner," 

"Yeah right, he also needs to have his shining shield to protect him from Soma, which happens to be me. Oh  _joy_! So looking forward to it~" she remarked sarcastically, before walking side by side with the demon, back to do their own jobs.

It took them a while, and soon, Sebastian was already neatly replacing Ciel's plate with the main course. The Phantomhive earl continued to frown at his guest, sitting across him. After taking a bite, Ciel asks Soma, "How long do you intend to stay here for?"

"Once we've taken care of our business, we will leave."

"Oh! Yes, you did say you were looking for someone, correct?" Lau piped in, sitting on the right hand-side of the young earl, the latter scowling at the Chinese man. "And why are _you_ staying here as well?"

"Really, I wonder… let's say I'm just interested in buying your new maid." Lau answered, his voice as he said his last statement turning a bit serious. Amelia didn't see it, but Sebastian's eyes narrowed upon hearing this. Ciel saw his cousin take a step back from behind Lau, where she and Mey-rin were stood. "Then, I flatly refuse. Besides, my servants are never for sale; and Mia wouldn't look too good in a  _cheongsam_." Ciel said sternly, before taking a sip from his glass. "Ah, too bad, too bad. It would've been nice to add her in my collection. And no, I think she'd look great in them,  _ah-ha-ha~_ "

Sebastian grit his teeth, his practice of self-control paying off greatly. Amelia, on the other hand, frowns visibly, disgusted and slightly disappointed at Lau. The brunette gripped her apron and tried to remain calm.

"Since you are talking about it already... I'm looking for a woman." Soma cut in and brought out the same paper he showed to them the first time they met on the streets. "Her name is Meena. She was a servant at my palace."

Amelia, upon seeing the Prince's poor drawing once more, soon lightened up and instead had to focus on not bursting out in laughter. ' _It was as if a toddler drew the image,_ ' 

Ciel leaned his head on his palm and pointed his fork at Sebastian. "Would you be able to look for her with  _that_?" Sebastian took a step closer to observe the drawing further. He answered stiffly, "Even for  _me_ , it would be rather…" instead of continuing his statement, the demon nods his head and clarifies, "I  _will_  try my best."

"So, why is that woman in England?" Ciel resumes talking to the prince.

"Meena was my personal attendant and like a nursemaid to me. I've been with her for as long as I can remember. Both my parents paid me no heed, leaving me all alone in the palace. Meena was always by my side." He recounts his young, happy days with the woman; but it soon drifted off to anger, him clenching his fist on the table. "However, there was an English nobleman who had his eyes on her and took her with him to England while I was away from the palace."

"In other words, you came to England to get a woman back?"

"That's right. I'll _definitely_ get her back and then we'll go home together."

Ciel sliced his fish, sighing and completely uninterested and bored at his reason. "Such an extravagant trip for a mere servant."

Soma rushed to his side and gripped Ciel's shoulders. "It is not! Do you understand my _despair_ at having Meena being taken away from me? Do you know how much I—?!"

"I don't."

The prince abruptly stopped, and Ciel chose to continue. "I have no idea, nor the desire to know, of the despair that can be caused by something as trivial as  _that_." Ciel slapped Soma's hand away and walked towards the door.

He gripped on the door knob, "There are things you cannot get back, no matter how much you struggle. There is also despair that you cannot escape." He turned the knob, opening the door.

"You may not understand that, though. You're too young, it seems." Ciel closed the door behind him, his cousin's concern-filled eyes following his small figure.

Soma looked down, "Even so… I have had enough of being alone in that palace…"

In the room, Ciel thought to himself, leaning on the door for a while. ' _No matter how you struggle, you can't get it back_.'

* * *

"Ciel?"

The young earl looked up from his desk to see his cousin peeking through the doorway. "What do you want?" he spat at her.

Amelia looked taken aback by the harsh tone used on her, but she didn't mind so much and invited herself in. "Alright, I mean no harm. Being all feisty around me is totally unnecessary," she replies and takes a seat across him, in front of the desk. Ciel only looked at her, and the brunette sighed. "I would've hugged you, but seeing that sudden attitude towards me, I've guessed that you'll just push me away and slap my hand just like what you did to His Highness, the Other Child."

"I'm pleased you know your limitations. Now, as I said, what do you want?"

"Nothing. I just came to check on you and am currently trying to cheer you up a bit." She placed a deck of cards on the table and the Phantomhive earl simply stared at it. "Look, Ciel, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't care for you. Not because I'm your servant, nor because I'm your cousin but because really, I  _truly_ , _genuinely_ , care for you and you know, I'm always here for you to talk to and—?"

"Fine, fine I get it! I get it…" he cut her off, not wanting to hear more and slammed a fist on the table, startling the lady. "You do?" she suddenly beamed, clasping her hands together. "That's great! Now…" she got the lad's small hand and placed the box of cards on it. "Go play with Soma."

" _What_?"

"I said, go play with Soma. That ball of innocence is in dire need of attention and well, it wouldn't hurt to actually play with him, now that your schedule's over."

" _No_. You've just made my mood worse." Ciel dropped the deck down on the table and spun his chair around so he wouldn't face the brunette. Amelia raised a brow and smirked, "Ah, too bad; I was merely thinking that he _might_  actually sully the Phantomhive name; saying you don't treat your guests with the proper attitude and hospitality. Oh my, that would be terrible, would it not? I'm certain you wouldn't want that to happen."

Ciel contemplated her words for a short while before turning around once again and sighed. " _Fine_." He got the cards and stood up, no other words said and slammed the door behind him. Amelia chuckled, "And again, I triumphed." 

Meanwhile, the Phantomhive earl mumbled by himself, as he walked along the hallways towards the room where Soma and Agni stayed. He sighed, opening the door and went in, catching the Indian men's attentions.

Tossing the box of cards on the table, Ciel spoke, "Even _you_ should know the rules of Old Maid, right?" Soma's eyes widened, surprised by the sudden actions of the earl that just bitch-slapped his hand away during supper.

Ciel took out the cards from the box and started shuffling them. "My tasks for today are all finished. I'll play with you until I retire for the night."

"Ciel…"

"It's not for your sake or anything. I'm playing with you out of boredom."

Soma stared at him for a while and then raised a hand up. "Sorry, _but I have things to do_."

"What?" Ciel froze in his seat, whilst the prince stood up and Agni draping a hooded cape over his master's shoulders. "Unlike you, I'm a busy person. Agni, we're going out." 

Ciel's gaze followed their movement, and before Soma left, still standing by the doorway, he laughs. "If you don't go to sleep early, you won't grow, Little Ciel! See you," those were his final words for his host, before leaving the townhouse with Agni.

A few moments later, Lau poked his head in through the same door. "Ah, you're there. You know, Earl…"

Ciel turned his head sharply to look at Lau, a tick mark appearing on his head as he crumpled a card he was holding. "What do you want?!"

Eventually, the two nobles proceeded with playing against the other, in silence, by the fire. After a long while, the two Indian men arrived once again, and it was much too late in the night.

" _No luck again today, huh?_ "

" _We'll search again tomorrow, dear Prince._ "

"And so, they return." Ciel muttered while glaring at the doors for a brief moment, as he was still playing with Lau. "Frankly, they're really suspicious, those two." The Chinese man commented before fishing for a card.

' _And they're really loud as well…_ ' Amelia commented in her mind, as she poured the two nobles each a cup of tea.

"That's true. But still, I can't see how those incidents would be to their benefit. Judging from their behavior, they don't seem to hold a grudge against the colonial rule. Anyway, if  _they_  really were the culprits, do you think they would just throw themselves in front of _me_ , just like that?" They kept on playing cards, while Amelia placed their teacups on the table with a quick comment. "And throw all suspicion on their selves? It's unlikely,"

Lau nods slowly, "That's true. In that case, they probably are just searching for someone."

"However, it's still too early to conclude that." Ciel finally stated, placing his cards down, winning. He looked out the window, the snow a great contrast to the dark night sky.

Meanwhile, after putting his prince to sleep, Agni once again wore his cloak and boots, stepping on the snow-covered steps, his footprints left behind.

Unbeknownst to the white-haired Indian, a certain demon butler was watching over him by the perch of the roof. Sebastian was down on one knee, his tailcoat and hair flowing along with the winter air, the cold not bothering him anyway.

" _He's on the move after all._ "


	27. Curry-mpossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Young Master, he's on the move."

Amelia almost dropped the teacup she was holding as she gasped, surprised at the demon by the window, hanging there like a bat.

Ciel smirked. "Very well. Follow—?"

" _Take me with you!_ "

The household's great trio plus Lau looked at the source of the voice. They assumed correctly, since it was Soma standing by the doorway, with his head lowered. "You? Why so?" Ciel asked.

"I know Agni has been sneaking out after I fall asleep. I want to find out what he's doing!" Soma declared, finally looking up at the other four in the room. Ciel stared at him for a while before sighing. "Alright then, prepare to leave, the three of you." He says, referring to the prince, the housekeeper and his intrusive guest.

Amelia bowed her head a bit before walking out to get dressed in warm clothing.

Lau was then making his way towards the door, just right after the housekeeper. From the window, Sebastian was still watching him with slightly narrowed eyes. Almost suddenly, Lau turns to look at Ciel, "You wouldn't need me there, Earl. I might be a hindrance to your _special mission_. Ah-ha-ha! Now, to attend to my precious Ran-mao~"

For some reason, Ciel felt relieved that the Chinese man volunteered and wouldn't join in.

* * *

"Whose residence is this?" Soma scans their surroundings, eyeing the tall walls and gates.

"A man who imports all the Indian goods he can get his hands on: _Harold West-Jebb_. His business is coffee houses and emporiums." Ciel answered the prince's question as they hid at the corner of the stone wall, watching Agni enter through the big iron gates. "I met him once. He's nothing more than a detestable rogue."

Amelia rolls her eyes, murmuring, "There are lots of his kind in this _thriving_ country,"

"Some coffee houses were caught up in the hanging incidents. However, no harm befell Mr. West since he was, _coincidentally_ , away during that day." Sebastian commented right after. "Coincidentally, you say? Such an overused alibi." Amelia muttered.

Ciel looked up the stone wall. "Shall we take a look then?"

"So we shall. Prince Soma, please wait for your turn in patience." The butler held the cousins by their waists and jumped up, over the walls.

Leading them inside the mansion was Ciel, followed by Amelia, Soma and Sebastian, all tiptoeing their way in. "It's nice he doesn't have too much guards, unlike Azzuro." Amelia whispered as they hid behind a corner. "Also, it's dark in here too, we can move about freely; but of course, that's not always the case."

Ciel had a tick mark on his forehead, then flicked his own cousin's forehead. "What was _that_ for?!" The brunette whispered angrily, rubbing furiously at where she was hit. "For a small child, you sure do hurt people excellently," 

Ciel put a finger to his lips with a scowl, trying to shush her. "Would it not already be obvious that Agni is indeed working for West? Why else would his security be so lenient if it weren't the case?" she suggested as they crept up the staircase.

The other three men ignored her question, but the idea and its possibility lingered in their minds, especially Soma's. This time, as they continued their search, Sebastian had a gloved hand over her mouth to shut the housekeeper up.

The butler pointed to a certain door, moments later. From the small space below it, light escaped; so Ciel sneakily turned the doorknob, opening the door even for a tiny bit. The four of them gazed inside the room and listened.

"How about relaxing with a Scotch? It's high-quality that I bought from Justin and Brookes who happens to hold a Royal Warrant."

West held out a glass filled with the said drink, towards the stoic and uncaring Agni who sat on the couch. Agni, not taking the glass, made West walk away since he expected this kind of response from the Indian.

He placed the glass down on a nearby table and stood in front of Agni. "The plan up to now has been perfect. Splendid, Agni. You don't have to create more incidents since I've rid myself of my main rivals now."

He tossed a newspaper beside the white-haired Indian and grabbed his bandaged, right hand, causing Agni's eyes to widen slightly at the sudden action. "With your ' _Right Hand of God_ ', the Royal Warrant is as good as _mine_."

"Royal Warrant? So  _that's_  what this is about." Ciel says, finding the case and its reason to be quite pathetic.

"Manipulating such a kind-hearted man... then again, for what purpose is Agni staying for?" Amelia wondered, her statement clear since she forcefully removed Sebastian's hand from covering her mouth. Soon after she says this, it was answered by none other than Agni's interrupted question and Soma's outburst.

"If I complete this plan as you wish, can Meena—!?"

Soma's eyes widened, slammed the door open, yelling, " _Meena_?!" The trio hid themselves from view after their companion left the door open. 

The two men in the room turned around to look at the prince, surprised at the intrusion. "Who is _that_?" West questioned.

"Prince!" Agni stood up, horror evident on his face.

"This emotional brat—!" Amelia was about to make her way inside to pick the Prince and leave, but was held back by the butler who grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her to his body, with yet another gloved hand over her mouth.

"And you're being carried away yourself." He whispers, while the lady struggles against his tightening hold. "It's best to remember that the face of the Young Master and even myself are quite known. Let us sit back and watch." 

Amelia sighs sharply and elbows him before twisting her way out of the demon's hold. She shoots him a glare before turning her attention to the ruckus brewing in the room. The housekeeper adjusts her uniform, thinking, ' _Quite a gentleman indeed,_ '

Soma gripped Agni by his collar. "Agni, all this time you knew where Meena was?!"

"Ah, so  _that's_  your master." West commented with a rather amused voice. Soma let go of Agni and faced West. "You're the one that took Meena, aren't you?!" He points a finger towards the Englishman as he looked at his butler once again. "Agni, rough this man up!"

Agni hunched his shaking shoulders, gritting his teeth, a layer of sweat covering his entire face.

"Agni, what are you waiting for?!"

From the outside, Ciel looked on with disinterest as he sits on the carpeted floor, leaning on the wall behind him. "Well for now, let's get Prince Stupid out of here."

"I thought I heard your butler worry over your identities? It would be fine if it was me, but I suppose Agni's too strong, even for someone like me." Amelia replied with her arms crossed above her chest, brows furrowed. Her eyes darted around and sees a deer head mounted on the wall and smirks at Sebastian. "Unless of course,  _you_ 're willing to wear that." 

Sebastian smirks in return. "Leave it to me."

"Agni, strike this 'prince' and shut him up." West ordered the white-haired man, who in turn, clenched his fists together, finding himself in a dilemma he tried so hard to avoid. " _What_?" Soma asked, incredulous and looked back at his struggling butler.

Agni closed his eyes tight, still holding back. West's lips spread into a wicked and sadistic grin, enjoying their suffering. " _Agni_."

After a few moments, he shot his eyes open, raised his arm up, about to hit Soma.

"A—Agni…!" Soma's eyes widened at the sudden actions of his butler, and used his arms to shield himself from the incoming impact from the slap.

Yet it never came.

It was blocked by Sebastian, who wore the deer's head in an effort to cover his face. Everyone in the room had confused looks on their faces, while a certain lady watching from the hallway was controlling herself from bursting into laughter.

"A... deer?" for a moment, West stared at the Phantomhive butler in disguise before backing up and nearly colliding with a cupboard. The blond man frantically points his index towards Sebastian the deer. "Is—Is this person the abominable deer-man or something?!" he shrieked.

Sebastian turned to face West. "Pardon the intrusion, for I have come to pick up the Prince. I am  _Deer_." He placed a hand to his chest and bowed his head in a manner that wouldn't let the deer head to fall off.

West realizes something and gasps, "Agni! He might be an enemy's spy!" Sebastian's head snapped up. "Oh, you're quite mistaken. I am merely one  _hell_  of a deer."

Upon hearing his usual catchphrase, Amelia couldn't help but chuckle, muffling the sound with her own hands. Ciel rolled his eyes at his crazy cousin; and the latter explains herself after her laughter died down. "I only mentioned it out of teasing the man; I didn't expect for him to go along with it."

"Then perhaps, he was already considering it when you told him so. Now stop your giggling before I shove your hands down your throat."

The brunette winced, "I hope you're not too serious about doing that. I would hate to hate you, dear Ciel." They both look at each other, but Ciel was first to break away and sigh. "What I said was merely an exaggeration. Do children not do so?" Amelia smiles at his response, and ruffles the earl's already messy hair. 

"Kill him! Do you want that promise to go up in smoke?!" West blackmailed the white-haired Indian. Agni's eyes widened once again, more sweat beads on his face.

" _Do it!_ "

He clenched his fists tight once again and fell on his knees, as this time blood dripped to the floor. "I have only one God and Master... and I decided to swing my fists for no one but Him."

Agni opens his eyes that were crying with blood, pooling at the tear ducts. "Please forgive me for the sins I commit against you!"

"Agni! Y-You aren't…"

Sebastian the deer tightened his gloves while Agni removed the bandages on his right hand with a snarl. His eyes glowed completely white, the blood still trickling down his face and a purple, glowing aura surrounded his whole being.

He charged at Deer, who was now carrying Soma over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Deer easily managed to avoid each attack of Agni, while West was panicking over the things being destroyed during their battle.

" _No_! The crystal glass I bought from Thomas Good!" more crashing could be heard, and Agni's grunts came with it. "The Royal Worcester centerpiece! My Tiffany stained glass!"

Amelia wasn't entirely sure which entertained her more: the fact that Sebastian wore that deer head or the way West's voice continuously rising in pitch, yelling out the brand names of the different items that were being destroyed inside.

Sighing contentedly and wiping a small tear of joy away, she taps Ciel on the shoulder and offers a hand. "I've had my fair share of laughs this evening; but all good things must come to an end. We better head out now," 

The earl nods his head once, refusing the offer of holding hands with her. He made one final order and a bit of reprimand, to his butler, "All this unnecessary uproar will only call attention! Just take the Little Prince and escape!" At this, Amelia suddenly pulls the young earl and runs, both of them disappearing through the hallway.

"Understood." Deer butler responded, and crashed the windows for his escape, holding Soma's body tightly, making sure that the Indian prince wouldn't have a single scratch from his stunt. Through the deer-head, Sebastian looked at Agni one final time after landing on the snow-covered ground.

Agni, looked down at him as well from the broken window, the purple glowing aura disappearing and his eyes returning to their normal state.

Sebastian finds the cousins just emerging from the main doors, and he quickly carries them both while still holding Soma and went to jump over the wall that was hindered by trees so his master's presence and identity would be concealed and have an obscured view.

* * *

Amelia sat across Ciel, holding her teacup near her lips and smelled its aroma. The room was dead silent, since the prince had a faraway look in his eyes while Ciel looked like he was thinking deeply.

The brunette cleared her throat. "So, now that we're here… Prince Soma, would you be so kind to explain to us what we've witnessed from Mr. Agni? His rather, inhuman abilities are both... intriguing and unnerving," she sipped her tea slowly, quietly, waiting for the answer.

"That was the concentration technique known as Samadhi. Once he reaches that state, no one can touch him."

Ciel repeats the term, " _Samadhi_?" 

"It's a type of trance state. Through pure devotion to a master like Prince Soma, people, in this case Mr. Agni, is able to bring forth tremendous amounts of power." Sebastian added his input and sends a sly smirk to his master, "It is something  _we_  lack; the power of faith, born of love and trust." Ciel just stared up at him, as Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Then, why would he betray me?" Soma slammed his fists on the table. "Why does everyone around me leave?!" To his frustration, he slid his hands across the table, making the tea set fall to the ground and break into several tiny pieces.

"Impressive manners for a Prince," Amelia mumbled, pissed at the Indian and the fact that there would be another mess to clean up. She glared down at him, her hold on her teacup becoming firmer.

"Why, you!" Ciel said with his eyes wide at the sight of his broken tea set.

Soma stood up, his eyes shut tight as his whole body shook, the tears already coming. "Why is it? Why?!" He dashed for the door, and slammed it behind him.

"Oh dear, I brought that Haviland tea set out because I thought it suited you so well. It may be a good idea for him to be disciplined." Sebastian said, breaking the silence. "Hm, I couldn't agree more, Sebastian." Amelia said, standing up. "However, do be a little gentle. I'm afraid you'll—?" Sebastian cut her off with a chuckle. "Do you expect me to batter him?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"I would, if I weren't the Phantomhive butler. Worry not; there are countless other means for me to carry out my disciplinary methods." He said with a slightly demonic smile. "Now hurry and clean up this mess."

Amelia speaks as she heads her way to procure cleaning supplies, "Fine, fine. I just wouldn't want to have a huge amount of blood to clean. Yes, I dislike his attitude but—?"

" _Amelia_ , do you not trust me?" he raised a perfect brow at her, cutting her next thoughts off. Ciel remained silent, sipping his tea while watching the whole conversation take place.

The brunette smirked, with her back still facing them as she paused in her tracks. "The likes of you, who lack just  _that_... then, who knows?" she left the room right after that. Sebastian sighed, excuses himself from his young master and left the room as well, leaving Ciel alone in that place as he finished all his tea.

* * *

Soma was currently balled up on the nice bed, with sheets covering his whole body. It has been like that for a while now, not until a certain black-clad butler pulled it off rather harshly, making the Indian prince fall off the bed.

"You rude swine!"

"Just  _who_  is the rude swine?"

Soma gasped, and looked up at Sebastian who towered above him. "This is the Phantomhive mansion in  _England_. In this place,  _you_  have no authority to order me to do anything." The butler spat out at him with an indifferent face as he looked down at Soma. "You are nothing more than a mere  _brat_."

Soma gasps, being hit with reality.

"Without Mr. Agni, you are nothing more than a useless and powerless child and now he has betrayed you."

Soma looked down and said in a depressed tone, "That's right… I have… nothing else left. I've lost everyone."

Sebastian chuckled darkly. " _Lost_?" he mocked. "My goodness, you have a most unbelievable imagination."

The prince gasped again and looked up at the mocking smile held by the butler. "You haven't lost anything since you  _never_  had it in the first place."

Sebastian's voice started to echo in Soma's mind as realization soon hit him. "Status given to you by your parents, a palace given to you by your parents; from the very beginning,  _you never had a single thing_. Isn't that right?"

" _No_ …"

"And you were well aware that the same went for Mr. Agni, yet you lacked the courage to confirm it by yourself." Sebastian continued with a smirk on his face.

Soma's hands reached to cover his ears and yelled. "You're wrong! You're _wrong_!" he was sweating as he made his way for the slightly opened door, but was stopped by the demon.

The prince inhaled and froze in his spot as his eyes locked with the butler who stood before him, the mocking smile never leaving his features.

" _I am not wrong._ Now that you've finally realized, you play the main role in a tragedy.  _You really are an incorrigible brat._ "

Soma took shaky steps back before his knees gave out and he dropped to the floor.  His voice was barely a whisper, "They all said they'll be with me forever."

"Quite clearly, that was merely lip service. There is no reason to serve someone for no personal gain." Sebastian said, his smile gone and was replaced with an icy stare. Soma looked up at him with his mouth open to speak, but no sound escaped.

"In the slums, even a three year old child would know that _. No one has ever loved you_."

"Let's leave it there." Ciel suddenly interrupted, making the butler's brow rise. "Young Master?"

Ciel leaned on the door frame, his arms crossed. "I might have been the same as him if not for  _that_  month." Images of his burning house and the cult went through his mind as he said this.

Soma stood up, confused. "What m-month?"

"I was forced to taste the humiliation of having my house burned, my family killed, and being treated as less than a barn animal. I was a powerless child, but I returned here to bestow the same humiliation upon those who tortured me." He gripped on his elbows, maintaining a stern look on his face.

"My parents were in the way of their killers. If Phantomhives are a nuisance to them, if I continue to hold the reins of this household, they'll probably target me again. I am waiting for them to come for my life."

"W-Why would you go that far?"

"What would be the point if I just sat here and mourned? Even a dead person can stay still but I'm alive and standing on my own two feet. If I'm going to end up dying one day, I'd rather do it with nothing to regret. I wouldn't call it something so grand as revenge; it's all just to make me feel better. It's just a game between me and them to see who'll win."

The young earl continued, "Even if I'm flung to the depths of despair, if there's even a spider's thread I can use to climb out, I'll grab it and never give up. We humans have the strength to do that. However, whether to grab it or not is up to each individual."

Soma stared at the little earl with wide eyes, his mouth hung agape.

"Now, let's put an end to this ridiculous babble." Ciel stood straight this time and turned to his butler. "Sebastian, I have something to discuss with you on the West incident. Come."

"Certainly."

Soma looked at the Englishmen's retreating figure, repeating the earl's words, ' _Whether to grab it or not, is up to each individual._ '

* * *

"It took you quite a while," Amelia began, leaning on a wall after seeing Ciel and Sebastian walk down the hallway. "So... shall I bestow a Royal Warrant to either of you, for such _life-changing_ speeches?"

Tick marks appeared on the two's foreheads at her sarcasm. Ciel opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Soma calling out his name. "I'm seventeen, yet totally idiotic and naïve as compared to you. I've been spoiled only because of who my parents are." The Phantomhive trio stared at him as he clenched a fist.

"Even though I know Agni was troubled, I didn't hear him out, but now I want to know. I want to see them both and find out why they left me. That's why, please! Come with me—!"

Ciel raised a hand, the same way Soma did when the young earl was to play cards with him. "I refuse. There's no way I'm dragging around the weight of a naïve idiot like you."

Soma made his way towards Amelia and grabbed both of her shoulders, startling them all. Soma mustered the best puppy-dog face he could do. "Please try and convince Ciel, Mia!"

The girl sweat-dropped at the sight before her. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I strictly follow only the Young Master's orders." She carefully slid his hands off her shoulders, but the prince still held on to her, and proceeded to hold her hands instead.

Ciel sighed, feeling a dark presence slowly growing from behind him. "I suppose the door to the living room isn't locked though." He turned away and began walking ahead as Soma blanched.

After a few moments, the prince rushed and tightly hugged Ciel, burying the young noble to his chest. "Thank you, Ciel!"

"H-Hey! Let go!" Ciel yelled, trying to remove the prince's hands off him. Soma stood back, his hands clasped together. He spoke with a sincere voice, his eyes cast down. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that before. Please, forgive me." Next, he turned to Amelia, looking at her from under his lashes. "I'm sorry for making you do things and adding more work for you; treating you as if you were Meena."

Amelia simply shrugged and looked away, sighing in relief. Soma hesitantly turned his head towards the butler then hid behind Ciel, using the lad's small body for a shield. "I want to… apologize to you as well."

Sebastian smirked and raised a finger to his chin. "No worries; I find this quite interesting,"

Instead of heading straight for bed, they all returned to the parlor to further discuss some matters. Sebastian prepared them some tea, while the other three, including Amelia, sat on the soft couches. Even if she was a servant, this action was excused since neither anyone of them objected.

"To think that West was after a Royal Warrant; well, I suppose that's something a detestable rogue would think of." Ciel started the conversation.

"What's a Royal Warrant?" Soma asked as Sebastian placed their teacups on the table for them. As soon as the butler had come closer to him, Soma scooted away from the butler and grabbed onto his seat for dear life.

Amelia fought a chuckle at the sight. True, she overheard a few words from the two males' speeches, however she didn't even get to hear everything. The brunette just wondered how or what Sebastian said or did to have the prince react negatively like that.

"It's an endorsement given by royalty to the shops they like. A Royal Warrant is a British Royal Seal of Approval." The housekeeper answered the prince's question as Sebastian bent and placed a teacup in front of her. However, she declines it and stood, putting the tea back to the cart. Surprised, Sebastian gave her a questioning look.

"I'm not in the mood for tea again. Also, it's not right for a servant to serve another servant." She speaks in low volume, and steps closer to the tall man. "Do tell me how or what it is that you've done that has him whimpering away from you like a poor dog."

Sebastian simply stared, "The tea I've worked so hard on preparing will be put to waste if you do not drink it."

The housekeeper rolled her eyes and smirked. "It's just tea, Sebastian. I simply tire of drinking it; I wouldn't want to tarnish your perfect facade if I end up spitting it out."

Sebastian frowned. "Perhaps you're still bitter over that fish incident? Quite unbecoming for you, my dear."

"Oh _no_ , such a trivial matter would do so little to my wrecked heart."

Ciel clears his throat, and both servants look at him. "Anything substantial you two would like to add?"

Sebastian glared at the brunette as she spun on her heel and resumes her seat. He sighs before answering, "A week from now, there will be a curry contest held at Crystal Palace." his piercing eyes never left the lady's form.

"Curry?" Soma questioned in curiosity, brows raised.

"Yes. According to the rumors, Her Majesty—a famed curry lover—may also come and observe." Sebastian continued.

"That's just a rumor. Since the death of her husband, Prince Albert, Her Majesty rarely makes public appearances." Ciel disagreed, placing his teacup down. "How is the curry contest connected to the incidents?" The prince tries to think, but he knew nothing about the English, so it was better to ask.

"The main dish at West's coffee house is curry. If he secures a Royal Warrant, his sales will undoubtedly go up." Ciel replied, resting his head on his hand.

"In other words, for him to have less number of rivals in that contest, he used Agni to carry out those... _murders_." Amelia deduced, playing with a loose strand of her hair.

"He then used the message to make it seem like the incidents were caused by Indians who were angry with England. Agni probably went along with the plan in order to save Meena," Ciel looked up at Sebastian and the butler gave a slip of paper to him.

"…for the sake of his 'god'." Amelia followed up, as Ciel slides the piece of paper from the crime scene to Soma. The Indian gasps, seeing the tongue-like symbol and the letter behind it.

"Ah, speaking of gods, yours is the Goddess Kali with her tongue sticking out. And since Agni was the one who wrote this and his God is you, it must have been all for your sake." Ciel has a refill of tea and sips it after. "I can assume that all his prayers and regrets were written there. Even though you're apart, Mr. Agni still believes in and lives for you. You really do have a wonderful servant, do you not?" Amelia murmurs, watching as the prince reads.

"Agni…"

"Well then, we shan't get involved any further and leave it to the Scotland Yard." Ciel decided, and then sipped his tea. "Wait! What about Agni and Meena? What will happen to them?" Soma stood up again, overwhelmed, looking at the young earl. "We've determined that there's no Underworld involvement, therefore it is none of our concern."

Soma gripped the letter in his hands, causing it to crumple. "You're right, this is my problem. I'll think of a way to resolve everything by myself." Amelia raised a brow in mild surprise, fascinated at the resolution of the prince. ' _At least he's learning how to mature, and grow out of his childishness,_ '

Ciel stretched his arms. "Well then, I shall be getting on with my own work myself."

Soma tilted his head, then sits again, but chose to remain silent.

"I was called out to London _in winter_ for this _idiotic_ case; I suppose I have a right to be compensated for my unnecessary expenses, no?" Ciel and Sebastian smirked simultaneously, the latter already understanding what the former was planning.

Amelia took a second before her mouth formed an 'o', nodding afterwards and crossing her leg over the other. "I sense that the Funtom Company wants to enter a new business branch. Although I must admit, it will be quite a show, especially when _you_ win the Royal Warrant." 

Soma gasped. "It has always been under consideration. If we become the supplier to the Royal Household in our first endeavor in the food industry, it's sure to create a stir."

"There's only a week left until then, is it not? There's not much time for— _oh_ , right." Amelia met the eyes of the butler who stood beside Ciel. "There's him."

Sebastian smirked, raising a hand to his chest. "It is only natural for someone who serves under the Phantomhives to be able to do it. I will obtain the Royal Warrant without fa—?"

" _That's impossible_." Soma cut him off. "There's no way you can win. They have Agni, and he has the Goddess Kali's right hand."

Amelia raised a brow. "You mean that his 'blessed' right hand isn't just for fighting and of that sort, that can still be used for... _cooking_?" Soma looks at the housekeeper firmly, nodded his head and prepares to explain.


	28. True Colors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"That's the reason why I'm telling you, you'll lose. Not a sigle one of you have any sort of idea of Agni's true skill; and neither do you know _real_ curry." Soma declared seriously. Amelia leaned forward, " _'Real curry'_? There's... a difference...?"

That night, Soma was all about discussing the dish, determined to making his English companions understand. "Curry is based on a selection of fitting spices. The number of combinations is _endless_. Finding the supreme combination from those infinite choices is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

The prince continued. "It is akin to pulling the truth of the universe from thin air."

At that, Amelia slightly frowned. "This must be some sort of exaggeration, is it not? Yet again, culinary arts is something I believe I have a hard time with." She mumbled towards the end.

Soma wasn't bothered by what the brunette said, and decided to continue. "However, Agni is able to do it. He is able to imagine the world from nothing. That power is truly of the Gods' domain. That is why, Agni is known as the Goddess Kali's Right Hand. I have never eaten a curry more delicious than Agni's."

"Ah, Mr. Agni makes curry-zy curry, correct?" Amelia snorts at her own lame pun, earning a disbelieving look from her cousin, a loss for words from Soma, and the butler flicked her forehead after sending her a majestic roll of the eyes. She yelped, "I was lightening up the mood!" The housekeeper began to rub two fingers onto her reddening forehead.

Sebastian ignores her and turned his gaze at the other two young males. "My my, that seems quite the challenge."

The next day, rows upon rows of pots filled with different colored curries were lined up in tables.

Soma deadpanned. "Y—You made these all by yourself?!"

Sebastian smirked and looked at all the curries he made. "Yes. The only one who knows Mr. Agni's curry is you, Prince Soma." He grabbed a bowl and started pouring some curry into it. "I ask for your cooperation in coming closer to the Goddess' Curry, if even by a fraction." He handed the bowl for Soma to take but the prince drew back, still quite afraid yet regained his composure.

"V-Very well! If, by eating curry I can be useful to you, then I shall eat as much as you need."

"Thank you very much."

"For both Meena and Agni as well!"

* * *

A knock was heard on Ciel's door. "Pardon the intrusion," Sebastian entered pushing a cart with him, and his young master's snack on it.

"Today's teatime snack is a Gateau Chocolat." The butler said, yet his master seemed to not care as he had not turned around and continued to focus on his paperwork.

"Prepare a proper outfit fit for public display." The little earl ordered in a monotone voice.

Sebastian smirked. "After insisting so absolutely that she wasn't coming… the Queen's Guard Dog really is well-trained."

This made Ciel turn his head to look at the butler, probably pissed by what the demon said. "Have you come up with a curry that surpasses Agni's yet?"

"No. According to Prince Soma, something is still missing." He reported, about to place the plate with a slice of the delicious treat down on the table.

"Then, you don't have the time to be making something like this. Hurry back to the kitchen."

Sebastian stood up, still holding the plate. "As you wish."

"I'm not in the mood for eating chocolate. Why don't you do something useful and crush it into the curry?" Ciel said sarcastically, before looking down onto his paperwork once again.

"Yes, My Lord."

* * *

Amelia was currently dusting off the few figurines down a certain hallway. Wiping some sweat off her face, she sighed in frustration. "Is it the city's polluted air? Goodness, I just cleaned yesterday. How come it just keeps on coming back every single day? I mean, can the dust not stay away from these things for more than twenty-four hours?"

She hit her head on the wall lightly and leaned on it. "That's it. Amelia, you are one crazy lady. Yes you are. That is the only plausible reason for you to be speaking with small particles in the air." Mey-rin was passing by the hallway and she heard her lady boss' rant. "U-Uhm… Miss Mia? Is everything... alright, yes?"

The brunette's head tilted to the side, still leaning on the wall using her head, and a scary look was on her face. " _What_?" she spat out through gritted teeth, causing the maid to flinch.

"N-Nothing, yes!" she fiddled with her apron and Amelia sighed, trying to sound calm as she speaks, "No need to fret, Mey-rin. Hurry now, please do attend to your duties." The maid nodded furiously and dashed away. Amelia stood straight then, and picked another figurine; a cat.

The lady puts a hand on her forehead. "Ah, what day is it now? I'm having a headache." Instead of continuing her work, which she always does, she mumurs something about going to the kitchen and places the figurine back.

She became giddy all of a sudden, a big grin plastered on her face. As she drew closer, an aroma quickly caught her nose. Amelia savored the smell and sighed in pleasure, "Now, whatever  _that_  is, I must place it in my mouth at all costs and have a taste."

Upon opening the kitchen doors, she was mildly surprised to see that the butler was cooking, and disappointed that she thought she would be able to sneak food out. ' _Oh well, there's no turning back now,_ '

Sebastian immediately knew that it was her even without having to turn away from his work. "Pleasant afternoon to you, Mia." He greeted her, while mixing the contents of the pot. He caught a whiff of something different about her scent, and he knew, for the centuries he spent with humans, that females underwent... monthly changes. Although he smelled no blood yet, he knew that in a few days or even hours, Amelia would be surprised upon removing her uniform.

"And to you as well," She peeked over the butler's shoulder, not minding him at all, and looked at the brown colored curry, mumbling in a bored tone, "Despite having a hideous color, it smells terribly good. And I'm being brutally honest,"

"Oh? You seem rather dejected. Is it because of me?" Sebastian looked at her from the corner of his eyes with a small smug smile. No response was heard from the brunette, however, she did send him a look that says, ' _do I look like I give a damn about it even if it was you?_ '

Ignoring this, he still treated her with a bit of kindness, just so to mock her. "Would you like to try some curry?" Amelia scoffed, placing a hand on her chest in all fairness a lady could ever muster, as if she was being accused so wrongly. "Do I look like Soma to you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Ah, if you looked like him, so long as you do _not_ act like him, nothing would change." The brunette narrows her eyes, "What exactly do you mean by that?" Sebastian gets a spoon and dips it into the curry to taste. His answer completely avoids the lady's inquiry, "As of the moment, Prince Soma is unable to eat for he claims that 'his stomach will explode'. Also, since you're the one who's present, I deem it as fitting if you were to taste it."

She shook her head, aware of what he was doing but paid his aversion no mind. "Speaking of Soma, you have yet to tell me what exactly you told him. To discipline someone does not necessarily have to make them fear you. It may cause... certain damages; and maybe the innocent Prince's already is." The lady leaned on the counter, watching him. Sebastian raises a brow, noticing how she returned the favor of changing the topic. "Oh~? Why does it seem like you've already shared a similar experience?"

He watches her brows furrow, "Do not speak as though you fully know me, Michaelis." They glare at each other, and Sebastian tries to read her.

He covers the pot with the lid, letting her have the win for now, "No worries; what I did was merely to have him take on reality. As a Phantomhive butler, I'm well aware not to tarnish the Young Master's image." The demon sighs and retrieves a bowl.

Meanwhile, Amelia opens cupboards, looking for food. "So much for that; anyway, the only reason I'm still here is because I went here for food." 

"Is curry not food?"

"Not the food that I want." she clarified. "Then what is it that you like?"

The brunette hummed, tapping a finger to her chin. Then she beamed. "Ah, sweet, milky, and tasty  _chocolate_!"

Sebastian raised a brow, surprised at the sudden peak her energy reached. "You're quite the church bell today, are you not?" He readies a bowl of curry for the housekeeper as he speaks.

A tick mark appeared on her head at his statement, but still smirked to mock him. "And here I thought the likes of you never came near such sacred places?"

Sebastian returns the smirk, but refused to look back at Amelia. "Ah, have I never mentioned that those 'holy relics' do nothing to hurt me?"

"Which makes me think, what ever could hurt _you_? Then again, you've succeeded in distracting me from my plans of taking food. Is this conversation not causing you any delay?"

"Then, to make up for the time I've deliberately wasted on you, please do give this curry a try." Sebastian had his close-eyed smile, already inching the bowl of curry towards her on the nearby counter.

She shook her throbbing head, with a hand on her forehead. "I shouldn't have come here. I should've known  _you_ , of all beings, were here making those curries. I'll just get my loot and leave."

The housekeeper made her way towards the cabinet and opened it, looking for the said treat she wanted. Sebastian leaned casually on the counter, letting the bowl rest there. "So, if I give you chocolate, you wouldn't leave the kitchen and stay here with me in return?"

Amelia paused in her search and turned her head to look at him in suspicion. "Are you…  _bribing_  me? This is something way below your standards but... what if I refuse?"

Sebastian hummed, with his knuckle to his chin. "If you say no, you'll have the privilege of washing each and every dish I used for making all the curry. Including the pots of which curries were rejected."

The brunette flipped her braid and scoffed. Though in her mind she thought, ' _If I say yes, I'll have the chocolate, yet I will have to endure the suffering of_ him _being my company. If I say no, there would be no chocolate and more work. Ah, then I should just ignore him, right?_ '

"Show me the goods first. I want to make sure this is worth the sacrifice."

A roll of his eyes, "I am assuming that your answer is yes, you will stay."

"My answer is _yes_ , you will give me chocolate after you've shown me its whereabouts."

Sebastian frowned at this while she stepped closer to him, all-business and arms crossed above her chest. "So, were you bluffing? I cannot believe this is happening."

"I also cannot believe that someone like _me_ has to put up through, with this petty conversation." Sebastian felt his patience wearing thin, but the rate wasn't too fast. He felt that this level of childishness was different than her usual days. The demon mused that it might be due to her upcoming monthly bleeding; but she was becoming too much.

Sebastian sighs, "Close your eyes and keep your mouth open; no peeking."

Amelia frowned, "Are you making fun of me?"

The demon glares at her, which made Amelia draw back a bit. "If you believe so,  _my Lady_." He grabbed the bowl that he prepared, and the curry was still warm and good for eating.

Amelia frowned, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. "What's so difficult about telling me where the chocolates are?"

"Amelia Midford, if you can trust me with your life then I suppose you can trust me with feeding you exquisitely tasting food. About how many times have I caught you dipping your finger into the pot when I cook?"

A blush spread across the housekeeper's face, which made her grab the bowl from the butler in haste. "Why do you keep on insisting that I eat this stupid curry anyway?"

"You asked for chocolate, and I have put its remains in there." Sebastian tapped the lid of the pot that contained the rest of the brown curry, with his free hand. The lady blanched while Sebastian moved to grab a spoon and dips it in.

"...why on earth… would you put the  _chocolate_  in the  _curry_? I honestly think that those two are not made to be together."

"It's a secret. You will know soon." Then, a small smirk, as though he knew some sick joke that the brunette didn't, _wouldn't_. "Besides, two unlike things usually create the perfect match."

She crossed her arms and huffed. "No, Sebastian. I will not eat curry that has _chocolate_ in it since I find it disgusti—!"

Sebastian shoved a spoonful of it into her mouth and she was forced to eat the said food. Chewing and swallowing the curry, her face in a look of distaste at the butler's actions, she got herself a glass of water and drank it. Sebastian watched her reactions with a satisfied grin still intact. "How was it?"

The girl licked her lips and bit on her lower lip. "Hm, I'll admit… despite your methods, it was…  _so damn good_."

She stole the spoon from Sebastian's hands and started feeding herself. "I take it back. It's awesome, Sebastian. And I think this is the first time I praised the food you made." She paused and took another spoonful of it. Before Sebastian could react, she continued, "Oh, and just because I praised your curry, doesn't mean I don't hate you anymore for annoying the hell out of me; and that I excuse your rudeness by shoving the spoonful of curry rather harshly into my mouth."

As she was about to take another serving of curry, Sebastian grabbed the bowl back. "Hey! That's  _my_  curry!"

"Ah, but I need the prince to taste it as well. I wouldn't want it all go to waste into your stomach and big appetite."

She blushed at the mention of "big appetite", "I don't give a shit! Give me back my curry! You can always make another round of it for him!"

"Yes I can, but I see that I don't have to. I just need to protect the curry from you and your stomach."

"Stop saying  _that_!" Embarrassed, Amelia reached for the bowl but Sebastian raised his arm up with a smirk on his face, his eyebrow raised in amusement over the lady's slightly bipolar and immature attitude.

"It's unfair! You're unfair! You're so damn taller than me, and you're enjoying this mockery!" her lips started quivering and tears formed in the brim of her eyes. "I just want the  _curry_ …"

She gripped Sebastian's sleeves and looked up at him, a few tears already trickling down her face. "Why won't you give me my curry?! Have I done something wrong to deserve such treatment from you, Sebastian? How could you do this to me?"

Amelia buried her face into the confused demon's chest and started hitting her fist against it as she sobbed. "I thought you cared for me and my stomach! How could you betray me! Did you not say that you never lie?" her muffled cries were as clear as the day to the butler.

The demon was lost as to what he should do. This was the first time he saw Amelia in such a state; and it was the reaction he very least expected, wondering where her fiery attitude from earlier gone off to. " _Amelia_ …?"

The lady suddenly stopped sobbing and hit her knee to his groin in a very hard way, causing him to fall to the floor, one hand clutching _the thing_ and the other still holding the bowl of curry, managing no spill on the floor.

She boomed in laughter at the demon's reactions. "So _that_ gives you pain!" she hit her hand to her knee in an ungraceful way and laughed again. Amelia grabbed the bowl of curry off his hands and pulled a chair near her, and used Sebastian's torso for a footrest. The brunette tossed her braid over her shoulder, chuckling in triumph as she ate the curry.

Sebastian sighed in annoyance and stared up at her. His fangs slightly made their appearance especially since she was using him as a footrest, "Just  _what_  is wrong with you?"

She hummed for an answer like a little kid does when trying to think of an ice cream flavor. "Shall I list it down for you?" she smirked when she heard Sebastian click his tongue.

"Am I getting on your nerves?"

" _Quite so_ , Amelia."

The housekeeper smiles as Sebastian stared her down, despite him being the one below her. Amelia stood up from the chair and offered the demon a hand. He took it, got up and dusted off his uniform. Somehow, his teeth returned to normal. "Are women really this taxing when on their period?" The demon murmurs loud and quick enough for the human to understand. 

Placing the empty bowl on the counter, she gulps and her eyes widen in shame, but instead of just being overly defensive, Amelia gestured to herself and chuckled again. "Oh please, when was the last time I caused you problems?"

With a raised brow and a pointed gaze, the butler replied back, "Shall I list it down for you?"

"Touché." 

"Are you quite done yet? I believe we both have better things to do." Sebastian began, retrieving the now empty bowl from the housekeeper after a while of silence. Amelia felt a cramping pain in her lower abdomen and ended up patting his shoulder lightly. "You know... you're right. But before I leave you alone, for now, let me just ease some issues, if you may." 

She leaned in to whisper to the butler's ear. "Next time, don't be so intruding on other beings' natural life cycles. It's still quite a shameful subject, even if it's with you. Best that you should keep it in mind from now on." Turning on her heel to walk away, Amelia stopped in her tracks and looked at Sebastian for the last time. "I hope that's clear?"

"As crystal. Well, for you, next time, try to get your emotions in check. I may be patient but then, I am still a demon."

" _With that_ , I shall be off to deal with other things." She said with her voice serious now, slowly turning back to "normal", and instantly putting an end to the conversation.

Sebastian's eyes followed her retreating figure, gripping on the bowl and ends up crushing it to powdered piles. This made him pinch the bridge of his nose with a sigh. The butler murmurs, with his eyes turning into those cat-like ones and fangs showing slightly as he continues with his work, "With the centuries I've lived... I would not want to assume that she is a mistake."

* * *

The day for the Curry Contest arrived, and inside the Phantomhive earl's study, Sebastian was busy readjusting the sword that was attached to his master's waist. Once he was done, Ciel looked at his reflection in the mirror.

"Is this outfit for Her Majesty as well?"

Ciel frowned. "Keep any unnecessary comments to yourself. More importantly, you really can win against Agni, can you not?"

"But of course." Sebastian's small smile turned to a wicked smirk. "In the name of the Phantomhives, I will bring the Royal Warrant to our household without fail."

Their short moment was disrupted when a knock was heard on the door and the housekeeper poked her head in and gently smiled. "Young Master, it's time to leave." she pauses, took note of her cousin's appearance and grinned widely. "And what a cute outfit. For the Queen perhaps?"

Ciel glared at her while Sebastian's smirk turned to a sly, knowing grin. "I have had enough of your judgments over my attire for today; and that goes to both of you. Let's go."

Arriving at the Crystal Palace, the other servants stood there in awe, looking around the all-glass palace. "Wow! This place is beautiful, yes!" Mey-rin commented. Bardroy and Finnian's reactions came soon after.

"Ah, it's been some time since I came around this place." Amelia mumbled on the side, but wasn't left unheard by the maid.

"Oh? Miss Mia's been here before?" she asked, rather loudly and was heard by the two blond servants.

The housekeeper was caught off-guard while the three of them looked at her, their faces showing that of curiosity. "Oh? Uh, yes, yes. I kind of… worked for someone else before? And we happened to go here for… an exhibit! Yes, an exhibit." She stuttered out the words and smiled sheepishly at them, hoping they would believe it. And luckily for her, they bought it. The brunette sighed in relief as the three started to make a ruckus, being overly-excited again.

Which of course, was stopped by the butler with a few hits on the three servants' heads, doing so with a calm smile on his face.

"Please do behave yourselves and follow Mister Tanaka's example. Now if you'll excuse me, I have preparations to make." The butler turned around and left.

"Have fun!"

"Be sure to do a good job!"

"Good luck! And don't shove a spoonful of your curry to the judges' mouths!"

Sebastian paused in his tracks and his eye twitched at Amelia's comment, but quickly regained his composure and continued walking away. His sudden pause made her smirk, and Ciel simply observed, already assuming that there was something that happened, but thinks in contrast, ' _Which of course, is none of my business. They're my pawns, not my children._ '

Soma turned his head to the side, seeing a familiar woman from the corner of his eyes and gasped. He sprinted towards the woman heading deep into the crowd, getting farther away from his original company. The Indian prince kept running through the swarm of people, trying to catch up with the woman he'd been looking for all this time.

Finally, after a few turns and that, he finally managed to see the woman clearly and called out her name. "Meena!"

The woman with waist-long hair abruptly stopped in her tracks, hearing the prince's voice. She hesitantly turned her head around, her eyes wide in shock. " _Prince… Soma?_ "

She gasped seeing him run to her and surprisingly held her in a tight hug. "Meena! I'm so glad! Agni got you back!"

"H-Huh?"

He pulled away from the hug he was giving her but still held her shoulders, looking down on her with so much glee. "You need not worry anymore. Let's go back to the Palace together."

"P-Prince…" Her blank face and innocent look was soon replaced with an angry one, a tick mark appearing on her forehead.

" _You're such an idiot._ "

Soma's eyes widened at her sudden change of attitude and flinched back, especially at the harshness of her voice. "Go back _together_? Don't make me laugh." She slapped the prince's hand away from her body. "Who on earth would go back there?" Meena turned her back to him and crossed her arms beneath her shawl.

"I was finally able to escape from India. I've seen people who haven't worked a day in their lives, who play all day just because they're _royalty_. Compare that with how I was forced to be a servant until my death, thanks to my caste. Living my whole life tied down by my heritage? Forget that!"

"So then… you went with West on your own acco—?" Soma was cut off by Meena. "That's right!" she turned around and faced him. "Even a child could tell which is better, between being a servant or a rich wife!" Soma froze in his place.

"Also, I've had enough of looking after your selfish needs!" her voice piped down and her eyes softening for a bit, for a while. "I promised not to say a word, but after seeing your face, I thought you were old enough to face reality!"

Meena turned around and left, her hair flowing as she did.

Behind a marble statue, Amelia and Ciel looked at Soma as he stared dumbly after Meena in shock.

* * *

In some other part of the Crystal Palace, Sebastian calmly stepped through the double doors, revealing Agni who was already seated on a purple couch, with two other chefs that stood on the side of the room. Seeing the demon butler, Agni rose from his seat. " _Sebastian?!_ "

Stepping closer, the said butler smirked at him. "Well, I suppose you have quite a few things to explain, don't you?  _Agni_?"

Agni looks down solemnly and it took him a while before he began to do just that. "The promise was that if I cooperated with West, she'd act like the old Meena around the Prince." the Indian butler paused and raised his right hand to his face. "If the pure Prince knows of Meena's true colors…"

"So that's how it was." Sebastian commented.

"That's why, I cannot lose!" Agni suddenly declared and his voice full of determination.

Sebastian tilted his head to the side and smirked, amused by Agni and possibly the petty situation of the Indians he's met. "What a coincidence. Neither can I."

One of the other cooks that had heard their conversation left the room. He had brown hair tied into a low ponytail and round glasses. After shutting the door close, he went away out of earshot and punched the wall. "This flavor is nowhere near enough to win. There's something missing…" he raised his fist to his head. "Something…"

The clacking of heels was heard and a woman's voice cut his trail of thoughts. "It seems you're quite troubled."

The chef stared at her in shock, frozen and silent at her sudden arrival. "If you wish so, please, use this." She handed him a small brown bag and he reluctantly took it from her. Bringing it up to his nose, he sniffed it and gasped.

"What… is _this_?"

Angela spared a small chuckle and smiled at him coolly.


	29. Agni-mazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Thank you for waiting!" a man with brown hair and mustache announced, causing the murmurs of the people to minimize their volume in the slightest. "Welcome to the Curry Festival, for the pride of London's curry shops!" a trumpet blew off as he said this, and the six contestant cooks stood on the left side of stage while the three judges were on the other side.

Amelia's eye twitched at the sight of the Viscount who kept waving, blowing kisses and winking at the crowd. "Why is _he_ here? Shouldn't he be in prison or something? Then again, bribery is such a trend." Ciel sighed exasperatedly. "But of course; what more shall you expect from the likes of them?" 

Soma looked over the stage then cast his head down, his eyes brimming with sorrow. He turned to the crowd and walked away. Agni watches him go and thinks, ' _Prince, even seeing my face must be detestable for you_.' But with resolution, he shook his head, ' _No! I need to concentrate on the competition.'_

"Well then, let us begin cooki—!?"

The emcee was cut off by the sound of their anthem playing and then everyone looked around in surprise.

"Ah, so  _she_  did come after all." Amelia mumbled as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, watching as a red carpet was rolled for the Queen and another man, which reminded her of the Barrymore maid. She narrowed her eyes and compared the man to Sebastian who was all black, whilst this one was all white.

"Her Majesty!" Ciel exclaimed.

"This is—! England's mother, our beloved Queen Victoria has graced us with Her presence!" the emcee announced, lowering his head as he put a fist to his chest.

The all-white man held the Queen's hand before they walked side by side as the people murmured.

" _Oh! Her Majesty!_ "

" _To actually see her…_ "

" _She certainly has lost some weight…_ "

The Viscount got on his feet and started to lead the singing of their anthem. " _God save our gracious Queen~_ " Everyone followed singing soon after.

" _Long live our noble Queen~_ "

The brunette housekeeper looked around to see if there was anyone else  _not_  singing like she wasn't and saw Bard, a pinky sticking to his ear with a brow raised.

" _Send her victorious, happy and glorious~_ "

Amelia watches everyone with a blank look on her face, before her eyes met with the demon's who was on stage. She blinked once and Sebastian's eyes were elsewhere, he too, seemingly indifferent about all that was happening, and the pair neared the seat especially for the Queen.

" _Long to reign over us, God save the Queen~_ " The song ended, much to the lady's relief. She smirked minimally, somehow both amused and satisfied with Sebastian's reaction, her eyes never having left his face. The butler finally looked back at her with an intense stare which she held for a few seconds but pulled away once the Angela-look-alike man spoke.

"Her Majesty declares,  _'We have not seen you in some time, and are sorry to have concerned you. However, our constitution has improved remarkably and now, we are even able to come and sample curry._ _We wish everyone well and hold great expectations for this food that my late husband loved so much.'_ "

He finished and the crowd went wild with cheering and applause. Amelia simply raised a brow and stood, thinking, ' _Yet another one of their fancy speeches,_ '

"Well then, to the cuisine!"

The wild cheering and Indian-like music from inside the hall reached Soma's ears. He currently sits by the fountain outside, sorrow still in his eyes. "Has it begun?" he asked to no one in particular as he turned his head towards the noise, then looked down again, remembering Meena's words.

" _'_ _You're such an idiot!'_ " it echoed through his mind.

Back to the contest, Agni's face was full of concentration and determination as he prays, ' _My God, Lord Soma,_ ' his bandages on his right hand being removed while he held a frying pan with the other.  _"My strength is all for you!"_

His right hand quickly got some spices on the table beside him in inhuman speed towards the pan. There were sounds of amusement emanating from the crowd. "Incredible! That Indian man's hand has a life of its own!" a man points at Agni as he exclaimed.

" _And what a splendid fragrance!_ "

West scoffed, his arms crossed and a prideful smirk on his face. "This is God's, no, Kali's right hand! Today will be a piece of—!" His haughtiness was interrupted by the crowd's awe-stricken voices.

Sebastian grabbed a few pinches of spices as well and tossed it over his frying pan, his hair flowing rather dramatically. Amelia rolled her eyes at this but continued to watch with curiosity.

" _The Funtom Company is amazing too!_ "

" _The fragrance is just as exquisite!_ "

West raised a thumb to his chin with a scowl and cursed Sebastian in his mind. His attention was brought back to the stage when the man beside him yelled and pointed to Sebastian.

" _Hey,_ what _is he doing?!_ "

" _That can't be!_ "

Sebastian had dropped a few chunks of chocolate into the curry. Amelia sighs, the corners of her lips tugging upwards at the childish memory of their moment in the kitchen.

" _Chocolate?!_ "

The audience started murmuring complaints and hunches that said it was going to be disgusting, revolting. To this, Amelia shakes her head in disagreement and clicks her tongue, "Ah, this is why we, despite our progress, still live a traditional way of living. Our society is afraid of experimenting and innovation; you'll never know the effect of one small ingredient until you've tasted the whole." 

Ciel looked up at her, hearing her words. "You managed to do just that?"

The housekeeper nodded. "The idea seems ridiculous, indeed; however, that curry was _exquisite_. Did I already mention that Sebastian's body as a footrest is quite relaxing as well?" She winked at her cousin and was answered back with a sigh.

The cousins' conversation was cut short by West's laughter. "That's a sweet maker for you! His advertising puff is certainly unique!"

The cousins' faces turned down into scowls.

Agni had a few beads of sweat on his forehead, his eyes wide as he mumbled, watching the butler across him. "No, they're wrong. That's a _bona fide_ ingredient _par excellence_. Cacao, butterfat and milk, the bitterness blended with the spice and the sugar brings out the fullness of the rich spice even more."

"How did you, an Englishman, ever come up with such an idea?" he asked Sebastian who scooped up his own curry after stirring it and placed it on a small plate to taste it.

Sebastian smiled. "It was by my Master's order." His smile turned into a slightly wicked one. "As long as my Master gives an order, I will make it happen no matter what it may be. After all, I am one  _hell_  of a butler."

Amelia turned her head down towards Ciel with an amused and shocked look altogether. "You really did order him that?  _How_?"

Ciel decided to ignore her, and instead makes a side comment aimed at his butler. " _Tch_. Is that supposed to be sarcasm?" he grumbled which made Sebastian look down on him from the stage with a small smirk.

Agni's eyes widened as he stared at Ciel and Sebastian. His brows furrowed in the slightest and mumbled, "What a humble bound," His head snapped up to look for someone, the prince, in the crowds.

His face fell, not finding Soma. ' _Prince, you really won't forgive me, will you?'_  he thought in his head. He frowned again, turning around and bent down on one knee to get a blue lobster from a basket.

' _No. That is why I can't afford to lose!_ '

Once again, the people reacted, seeing the lobster. Amelia grunted. "When will those people just… shut up? I mean, how long could they even last just staying quiet?" Ciel answered her, "Nowhere near long enough, Mia."

"See, even  _he_  stood up and reacted." She motioned for the Viscount who had slammed his hands on the table upon seeing the blue lobster.

"The legendary lobster said to live off the coast of Brittany! That deep cerulean that even compares favorably to Chartres Cathedral! Wrapped in its delicate, colorful shell."

He paused. "It's just like a fine lady in a blue dress. Hidden underneath that dress is a delicate sweetness of the highest quality, said to lead people to delirium." The Viscount was now blushing as his hands cupped his own face.

Amelia's eye twitched, feeling goosebumps on her skin.

West boomed again, pointing towards Agni. " _As you can see,_  this is the  _highest_  quality ingredient for a curry! It's no merely some cheap little additive!"

"With all my strength, I shall defeat you Sebastian!"

And there goes Agni once again, going all inhuman with his inhuman speed and cooking skills. The brown-haired-eyeglasses cook that met Angela a few moments before the contest looked more pressured.

So, he decided to bring out that small brown bag Angela gave him and poured the rather glittery powder on his curry.

"Time's up!" the emcee exclaimed while raising his arm up.

"Ow, my ears. What a noisy day… what a noisy guy." The housekeeper mumbled as the contestants stopped in their curry-making.

"Now, the judging will commence. First up is Persian Tub's Beef Curry." A chubby man with ash brown hair, mustache and freckles placed some of his curry on plates to present to the judges.

"There are large pieces of beef generously mixed in. This is quite splendid." Black-haired chubby judge said.

"However, this flat taste and fragrance…" a man that sort of resembles Barrymore's beard and sideburns but is slightly grayish because of his age, grumbled and shook his head then opened his eyes again to look at the cook.

"It's abominable for a professional cook to be using _curry powder_!" the said cook had  his eyebrows furrowed and a frown plastered on his face drew back slightly, hurt from the judge's words.

Viscount of Druitt tasted the second cook's curry, which happened to be the one who accepted and poured Angela's glittery powder onto his curry. "This is your own home spice, isn't it, Doll Company?"

"Y-Yes!" he stammered.

"What is it? One thing stands out, producing an amazing fragrance." The Viscount continued, making the cook gasp.

"But the overall balance is  _poor_. And it's overpowered by the fragrance." The grumpy judge, for lack of better description, commented again.

"Well, I'll give you points for  _trying_." The Viscount finished off.

Agni took a step forward, his curry in hand as the emcee called his name. "Next up is Chef Agni from the Harold West estate."

"May I present, my curry." His hand reached to remove the lid off his platter and placed it in front of the judges. "Lobster and a seven-flavored sauce."

The three judges' mouths were hung agape, eyes wide at the delicious food laid out for them. Grumpy judge spoke first, "What amazing brightness!" he took a spoon and began eating.

His eyes went wider now and exclaimed. "D-Delicious! The tender meat spreads a delicate sweetness throughout your mouth the moment you bite into it!"

Chubby-glasses judge piped in. "Moreover, with a seven-flavored curry, each flavor blends harmoniously with the lobster!"

" _Ah~_! Yes, this is it!" the Viscount started rather dramatically before he continued.

"The graceful beauty I met at the ball! Like seven jewels adorning your overwhelming elegance; a heart-shaped golden brooch, a sapphire and pearl bracelet, a garnet necklace, cameo cut pin and on your fingertips, a diamond and emerald ring!"

The image of a dark brown haired lady entered his mind as he said this.

"All of them to bring out your beauty even more! I had my heart… stolen by  _you_!"

There was another round of amused noises from the crowd as the Viscount stood up, having a dramatic pose once again.

Amelia groaned, shivering in disgust. "I could literally see sparkles and glitters emitting from him." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Such high class!" the emcee said. "Will the winner be decided just like that or will we see an even better appraisal?" He motioned an arm towards Sebastian. "Our final contestant is the Funtom Company!"

He stepped closer towards the judges. "I humbly present my curry." As Sebastian lifted the lid, it seemed that the inside was glowing brightly, a blinding light emanating from it.

Grumpy judge gasped. "Th-This is!"

 


	30. Sebastian-tastic Buns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

The judges' deadpanned, seeing three pieces of dough, oval in shape. Grumpy judge slammed his hand on the table, standing up. "Are you toying with us?!" he pointed an angry finger towards the butler in front of him.

Sebastian grabbed the tongs and dipped a piece of dough into a frying pan with oil, unaffected by the reactions the humans were giving him. The judges all looked at him confused. "He's frying it?"

Everyone, except for Ciel, his cousin, the Queen and the Angela-look-alike, had their eyes widened and shocked as to what will happen next.

"What are you doing, Sebastian?! Are you trying to make doughnuts or something?" Amelia heard Bardroy yell, and turned her head to look at them. Finnian was whining as he gripped on his hair, much like the gardener was at his wits end.

Ciel just looked up at the butler with a serious face while Amelia tapped her foot. "All this waiting and suspense has gotten me quite hungry..." she mumbled, and Sebastian fought a chuckle from escaping. Instead, the butler grabbed the now-fried dough and placed it neatly on the plate provided. "It is complete. This is our company's curry."

Grumpy judge yelled again while the Viscount just stared at it. "And I'm saying,  _where_ is that curry?!" The former yelled with his typical old Englishman voice.

"Wait just a second! This is…!" the Viscount caught the others' attention as he exclaimed. Getting the knife and a fork, he sliced open the fried dough laid down before him and gasped.

Again, a bright glowing light shone from the inside, even making Grumpy judge shield his eyes for a bit. "What's that?!"

"From the inside… the curry is—!"

Agni had his mouth open and eyes wide in shock, even West and the rest of the Englishmen there. Well, except for Ciel and Amelia as the latter one only felt her stomach grumble in excitement at the sight of the food and the curry she knew she would actually like.

"This is the curry our company proudly presents. It is called 'Curry Bread'!"

Grumpy judge hesitantly took a bite, staring at the small slice of the curry bread, then he stabbed it with his own fork before he ate it. As soon as the food met his own taste buds, a light shade of pink tinted his cheeks as his eyes sparkled.

"This is… This is delicious! The fried bread's crunchy and fluffy crust creates an excellent gradation together with the thick curry, which is perfectly formed." He stated dramatically.

Chubby-glasses judge followed, "What's _more_ impressive than anything else, is the architecture that keeps the taste and fragrance of the curry. The moment you pierced it with a knife, it is all released!"

Placing a hand dramatically over his face, the Viscount moaned in delight. " _Ah~_ This is the alluring young lady I met at the dinner party. By day, she was a childlike, teasing little bird,"

A mental image of him chasing after Ciel wearing the pink dress in some sort of garden, one fine day, was in his mind.

"But in the evening, she revealed her true face, and what was there was no less than a true lady." This time, the moonlight shone upon Ciel as he peeked from behind a tree rather, teasingly.

"I want to embrace you~!" the Viscount proclaimed while standing up, hugging himself and the curry stabbed with his fork, small pink hearts surrounding him. The crowd was amused yet again.

Ciel shivered in disgust, probably getting a few goosebumps as well, while Amelia pat his head lightly, her face filled with sympathy. "Trust me, I know the feeling. It's alright,"

"Once again, what is this such high praise?" the emcee started. He faced the crowd, "Has the victor become less certain?"

Meanwhile, Agni glared at the butler. "Sebastian… you…"

At the mention of his given name, he looked at the Indian man with a smirk. And sure enough, the glare Agni sent him could send lightning bolts towards Sebastian. But the demon wasn't fazed in the slightest.

Clenching his fist, the flamboyant emcee boomed once more. "Now, we shall allow the judges some time to deliberate on their verdict! As they do so, everyone, please help yourselves to whichever curry suits you!"

" _Finally_." Amelia murmured. After a few moments, almost everyone was eating the curry they desired; some others were just greedy enough to taste everything. Getting one piece of the curry bread, the brunette walked back towards Ciel, leaving the three stooges plus Tanaka there, feasting around the table.

"Do you think the Queen would try anything? Was she not here to judge?" Amelia said before taking a bite of the curry bun she held in her hands. Ciel looked up at her before he decided with an answer.

"She probably isn't judging, out of consideration for her health." He paused, turning to steal a look at the stage once again. "However, there _is_ a possibility she will try a curry she is interested in."

Swallowing the food, the housekeeper cleared her throat. "But of course, the curry she chooses will affect the judges' impressions. This is about the Royal Warrant after all." Ciel nodded then spoke again, refusing to take a bite when Amelia offered him some.

"Exactly as you say, the bestowal of the Royal Warrant is upon Her Majesty's preference."

West chuckled proudly with his arms crossed as he looked around the place, watching as people ate Agni's curry. "The popularity of our curry is overwhelming." Agni narrowed his eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Overconfidence is dangerous. Sebastian's 'Curry Bread' is also quite  _famous_." He turned his head to the other side of the large hall, and so did West. Most of the people there were eating the said curry bread.

West growled and clenched his fists in anger. He was about to say something but was cut off by a familiar woman's voice that sounded quite too sweet. "There's no need to worry, right, my dear husband?"

Both men turned to look at Meena as she walked closer towards them. "Meena? Why are  _you_  here?!" Agni questioned, shocked by her sudden appearance.

He shook his head, turning it from side to side as if looking for someone frantically, and beads of sweat appearing on his face. "If by chance, the Prince saw you it would—!"

"He already did." Meena interrupted with an annoyed voice, her eyebrows furrowing as she said it. "You met him…?" Agni's frown went deeper. "You can't mean…!"

Wrapping her arms around West's neck lovingly from behind, she just chuckled for an answer.

Outside, Soma was staring blankly at the statue of the Goddess he worships. "Agni. You knew and were purposely trying to prevent me from meeting Meena." He murmured to himself, and hung his head low.

"What are you doing?" Ciel's voice caught his attention. Soma gasped seeing the little earl and his housekeeper behind him. "Your servant is fighting on your behalf. Are you going to simply leave him like that?"

Soma averted his eyes and looked down to the side again. "No, I'm just reflecting on things. I didn't know anything—no; I didn't even _try_ to find out Meena's thoughts and Agni's feelings."

"If you know that, then why are you standing out here like a statue?" the blue-eyed lad turned around and began to walk back inside but he paused in his tracks to say one last piece of, what he can give as "advice".

"You've thought about it, right? What a Master should do for a servant who fights on his behalf?"

"Ciel…"

"Let's go, Mia." He looked straight ahead now, ordering his cousin, and walked away.

The brunette went towards the purple-haired prince before following her cousin to give him a piece of curry bread she got for the prince. "The curry tasting has started already, Prince Soma. You must try this,"

Soma looked at her first, then the curry bread, before he took it and had a bite. His eyes widened as well, "This is delicious!"

"Sebastian made that; I'm sorry I couldn't get you any of Mr. Agni's curry, but I'm certain it would taste nostalgic for you." Amelia winks, then squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. His eyes softened and the prince spared a small smile before adding, "Your _khansama_ 's Curry Bread has an incredibly kind taste to it."

Amelia smiled as well, but chuckling internally at the ironic statement. "If you want more, _and_ some of Mr. Agni's, then you should come back inside, with us, before the people there eat it all up."

She stood straight, waved at him for a bit before rushing her way towards Ciel.

* * *

Droplets of blood splattered onto the nicely polished wooden floor. A certain Indian butler was crying blood once again as he was on all fours, his hands clenched. He looked up at the unlikely couple in front of him, especially towards the Indian woman.

"Why did you do that?! You know how much the Prince felt for you! You always seemed to have such fun!"

Removing her hands around West—who was just there watching the two Indians with a bored face—Meena walked closer towards Agni in annoyance. "Someone like  _you_  would never understand!"

She placed her hands on her hips and bent down to look at him. " _You_  were a  _Brahmin_  and yet you threw it away! Now you're just a _khansama_ , so how would you know?"

"Then, for what reason did I—!"

"Don't ask _me_!" she replied, flipping her hair before she walked away from the scene. ' _That's right, I'll climb higher and higher, using as many men I can on the way!'_ she thought greedily while walking towards the curries being served on the tables.

Doll Company's curry—the one that used Angela's glittery powder—caught Meena's attention. She took the plate and got a spoon to eat it. Her first bite made her gasp suddenly, feeling something tugging at her chest.

"Chef Sebastian of the Funtom Company," the Angela-look-alike called, making said demon turn his head to look at him. "Her Majesty wishes to partake of a Curry Bread. Could I please ask you to bring one over here?"

Sebastian nodded with a smirk. He got a plate and a piece of his curry bread, and walked towards the white-haired man. This caught the attention of the judges, the emcee and basically everyone else.

With a slight bow, Sebastian said. "Please enjoy it, Your Majesty."

The literally white-guy grabbed the plate from him and put it down for the Queen to reach easily. Removing her lace glove, she got the food and lifted her veil slightly to eat.

After a few moments of silence, Ash leaned in again to hear what the Queen said. Straightening up, he announced.

"Her Majesty declares,' _A food that is easy for even children to eat, requiring neither knife nor fork. Fulfilling both the rich and the poor, allowing both children and adults to partake of it equally is commensurate with my goal of creating a kind and pure country.'_ "

He paused. "Treasuring children and the future, this kind stance moves Her Majesty greatly."

" _Don't make me sick!_ "

Meena's angry voice was heard by everyone, and all heads turned to look at her. A dark, black, and menacing aura surrounded her, as her skin tone turned into a mixture of dark purple and brown, and her eyes glowed red as she slammed her hands on the table.

"That's too  _sugar-coated_. ' _Equality_ '? The ' _future_ '? For this bountiful country where there are no hardships; what a _pretentious_ queen!" she yelled, her voice filled with nothing more but hatred.

She threw her hand across the table and tossed the dishes off of it. West rushed to her and tried to hold her arms to stop her from causing any more trouble. "Meena! Stop at once! You're in Her Majesty's presence!"

But the crazed woman elbowed West with unimaginable strength for a woman, sending the Englishman to fly off into a nearby tree and down to some bushes inside the hall.

The guards rushed towards her to stop her as well, but because of the curry giving her that strength, she easily defeated them. "Shut up! Curry is supposed to be rough and spicy!"

As if this was a good thing, the Viscount was slightly fawning over the woman as he watched her kick and punch and hit all the guards. " _Ah~_! With her flowing legs carrying her and her inviting hip pose, she is truly like the Kali statue!"

But he was then, knocked off by a guard thrown at him. Soon after, the other bunch of people that had eaten that same curry changed just like how Meena did. The rest of the guards blocked them from getting closer towards the Queen, forming a barrier around the stage where she sat.

"Your Majesty!" Ciel exclaimed and ran towards the said royalty, with Amelia right behind him. He was on his way when two crazed men blocked them.

" _It smells! It smells of hatred and desire!_ "

" _It smells of a dirty being!_ "

This caught the attention of more crazed people and surrounded the cousins further.

" _The stench of filth!_ "

The cousins were surprised at the familiar words, remembering a certain puppet that had once said that.

Before any of them could lay their hands on the two, Sebastian had gotten in the way and hit them with a ladle. "Are you trying to become like Asura, the one who faced Kali?"

Ciel closed his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed at the sarcastic remark of his butler. "It's the _demon_ 's job to become the head that Kali holds, right?" he shot back at the butler, making the latter smirk.

"Sebastian, kindly  _rewrite_  the legend. Stop that Kali."

"Yes, My Lord." After saying this, he handed the housekeeper a frying pan. She looked at it curiously and tilted her head slightly before speaking. "What's this?"

"A frying pan."

A roll of her forest-green eyes was sent towards him, "I know that, Mr. Know-It-All. I mean what  _for_?"

"Them." He gestured towards the crazed people and she sighed while rolling her shoulders. "Well, at least there's something to hold them off. Are you certain this would work?"

"Then you better try it out, and see for yourself." So with that, he left her while a tick mark appeared on her forehead and he started attacking Meena. Grudgingly, she swung the said frying pan around, hitting a crazed man from behind her, making him unconscious.

"Hm, not as dangerous as a sword, but as useful as it." She mumbled while swinging the frying pan as if she were wielding a foil. 

The rest of the crowd had already run away in fear, as Soma went back inside. He stopped someone by grabbing him by their shoulders. "What's happening?"

"An Indian woman went on a rampage!" he said frantically, looking back at the scene behind him. Soma let go of him in shock, knowing full well who the mentioned Indian might be.

He stepped closer and saw the mess Meena and the others had made. As he looked around, his eyes landed on the butler who fought against the Indian woman, blocking off all her attacks with the ladle.

"You are quite skilled. That is a demon-hunting goddess for you." Sebastian mumbled.

Looking around once again, Soma saw Amelia fighting off the others with her frying pan.

"Why do these bastards keep on getting up? I mean, do they not feel any pain from the frying pan? Surely I've hit them hard enough to not wake up 'til the next morning," she said, getting ticked off by what seemed to be, the never-ending crazed people.

When Agni saw the prince, he went to Soma and called out his name. "Prince Soma!"

"Agni?"

From behind the white-haired man, Doll Company's chef got up once again after being taken down for a while. " _I am… I am a French chef! I hate spicy things!_ "

He was about to attack Agni but the Indian man just punched him in the face. "Pardon me." And he even apologized.

"Agni, what is this?"

Agni looked to the side. "I am not sure. After eating the curry, all of a sudden Meena and a portion of the audience has…" he trailed off. Soma went towards the plates of curry on the floor.

He slid his finger on the curry that caused all the destruction to taste it. His eyes widened, " _Curryma_! Father told me of it once." He started, his face turning serious. "It reacts to the darkness and impurities in people's hearts and drives them into demonic madness. It is a  _forbidden_  spice."

The prince looked back up towards Meena fighting Sebastian, with pitiful eyes. "Meena… you were carrying _that_ great a burden in your heart?"

Agni knelt down to level with him and spoke to him reassuringly. "It's not your fault Prince. If she succumbed to the effects of the evil spice, then—?"

"I know that, you don't have to tell me Agni. Up to now, I blamed my loneliness and Meena's situation on other people. No one should care for a brat like that."

He smiled softly at Agni this time. "But even though I am quite hopeless, you have always stayed by my side. I'm sorry for not noticing until now."

Agni, for the first time, has been crying with real, salty tears of happiness and not blood. "Please, will you keep being my _khansama_?" Soma placed a hand on Agni's shoulder.

"Prince…" he nodded firmly with a thankful smile. Soma nodded as well, and then his face became determined. "Stop Meena, Agni."

Agni exclaimed, full of energy. " _Jo ajna_!"

Wiping sweat off her forehead, Amelia stopped for a while when she heard Agni's loud voice, watching the two Indians reconcile. "Guess someone's riled up, do you not think so too?" she turned to another guy as if she talked to him and swung the frying pan to the crazed stranger's face.


	31. That Butler, Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"The coast is clear, Ciel." Amelia murmurs, and then gestured towards the Queen. Ciel, not wasting any more time, quickly ran to get on the stage and stood there, leaving Amelia behind to continue fighting off the others.

" _Jo ajna!_ "

Wiping sweat off her forehead, Amelia stopped for a while when she heard Agni's loud voice, watching the two Indians reconcile. "Guess someone's riled up, do you not think so?" she turned to another guy as if she talked to him and swung the frying pan to the stranger's face.

"And they took long enough…" she mumbled in addition to the previous thought, mostly talking to herself now.

' _Has there ever been a time when my spirits have soared this high? Now, I have become one with my God!_ ' Agni thought as his right hand glowed a nice shade of aqua.

With two strikes of his right hand, five crazed men were rendered unconscious. He went to Sebastian's side and said, "I shall support you!"

The butler turned his head a bit to look at him. "Oh? You have become even more potent. Has something happened?" he said, a little amused.

"Yes, right now I am invincible!"

"That's great to hear, Agni." The brunette's voice caught both of their attentions. She swung the frying pan nonchalantly from left to right now, while walking towards them, since like Ciel, she too smells "unclean".

"I see, you've gotten used to the frying pan. You can thank me later,  _my_  lady."

She glared at the butler, brushed off the way he referred to her as "my lady", taking it as his way of mocking her. "I shall excuse your annoying behavior for now, because the frying pan is quite destructive for close-combat. And it's easier to use than a sword."

"It's quite strange that the people are simply standing as we speak," Agni changes the subject, and the two Phantomhive servants go into position. "Agni, I shall leave the two on the right to you. Mia, take the ones in the center." Sebastian started, and the lady just nods her head and begins her attack.

As the three of them fought, the Queen and his white butler, plus Ciel, stayed there and watched. White butler chuckled slightly, and spoke. "You have a most splendid butler, do you not? It seems there will be no need for me to make an interferance."

Ciel turned his head to look at him with an eyebrow raised. "But do you not think this peculiar? If that was the power of the spice, then why is it that just one group of people was affected?"

He continued when the Phantomhive earl remained silent. "If that were the case, there should be many more going out of control. After all, there is no one in this world who is truly at peace with themselves."

Ciel pondered for a while, his eyes landing towards the number of curry bread on the floor, then towards the three judges peeking from behind their table, and remembered the others who have eaten Sebastian's curry bread.

Cutting him off from his thoughts was the noisy Meena that passed by between Amelia and the demon butler.

"Wait, Meena!" Soma yelled, and ran to Ciel. He raised his arms to block off Ciel from her view, also in a protective state.

"The idiot!" Ciel exclaimed. Amelia spun her head around with wide eyes, and looked for something that would delay Meena from her approach, possibly to trip her steps.

Meanwhile, in the prince's mind, he pictured Meena to supposedly, be stepping on him. ' _This is the only way to calm Kali!_ '

"Now come, Meena!"

"As if I'd let that!"

Amelia yelled after, tossing the lobster she picked up from the floor in the air, hit it with the frying pan, aiming it just a few steps away from the stage. Just in time, Meena ran into it and slipped, landing onto her face. The brunette smirked proudly, twirling the frying pan in her hand. 

"Forgive me, Meena!" Soma exclaimed again, and then stepped on Meena's back.

"Sebastian! The Curry Bread!" Ciel ignored what the Indian prince was doing and called his butler out. "Make them eat your Curry Bread!"

"Understood."

Sebastian got a bunch of his creation and started throwing them to the people's mouths. Seeing as how Sebastian took over the whole situation, Amelia deemed her job as done, and placed the frying pan back down on a nearby table before she went beside Ciel.

Crossing her arms as she watched, she whispered. "I just remembered what Soma said about the Curry Bread. He said they have a kind taste to it. It's ironic for someone like  _him_." She said with a smirk.

' _A kind curry created by a demon. How absolutely like him. Like what Amelia said, a completely_ ironic _joke._ ' Ciel thought in agreement, looking at the butler that threw more curry bread. ' _However if he has decided to imbue it with kindness, then its power is perfect.'_

Sebastian flipped in the air and tossed two more curry buns before yelling, "Take this!" The curry bun landed in Meena's mouth. Soon after, the curry buns' effect took place. The rest of the crowd slowly went back to their normal selves. "Just what is happening?" one of the guards asked, confused and shocked at the same time.

"M-Meena?" Soma called out her name once noticing that she has turned back to normal. With her eyebrows furrowed, she twisted slightly to look up at him.

"Soma? You really are… the  _worst_!"

After saying so, she passed out on the floor. White butler spoke, making the cousins look back at him.

"Her Majesty declares, ' _The kind Curry Bread is able to subdue the evil spice and appease the souls of those in the grip of evil. The Royal Warrant's destination is clear.'_ "

Amelia narrowed her eyes at him, still bothered by something about the Queen's butler. ' _Why does this man's presence eerily reminds me_ _of Angela?_ '

* * *

The sun was setting. Most of the English men and women that went on a rampage were checked on, making sure they were uninjured and wouldn't begin attacking. Ciel and their group stood outside, watching as Meena was currently carried on a stretcher.

"So what happens to them now?" Amelia wondered out loud, while stretching her arms, probably feeling the pain from too much frying pan-swinging.

She was heard by the Queen's butler, stepping towards them. "No worries dear lady, they will not be mistreated." He answered her question with an alluring smile. He turned to Ciel next. "Earl Phantomhive, you did a sterling job today. Also for obtaining the Royal Warrant, I congratulate you with utmost sincerity."

The Queen's butler continues, "I have a word of appreciation from Her Majesty. Her Majesty declares, ' _I have put you through a great deal of trouble. I am ever watching your work. I am the Light, and the Earl is the shadow._ '"

He placed a hand to his chest and bowed. "' _Our positions may be different, but I believe our wishes are the same. Please continue to use your strength for Her Majesty's benefit in the future._ '"

After a few seconds of silence with Ciel just staring at him, he finally replied. "I shall."

White butler straightened up, putting on a smile that looked like Sebastian's fake one. "Well then, I shall take my leave." He spun on his heel and left, a guard in black following behind him.

After that, Soma broke the silence with a happy smile. "Thank you, Ciel." The little earl turned to look at him questioningly, his mouth formed into a very little "o". "If I hadn't met you, I would've remained an ignorant, selfish child."

Ciel just remained staring up at him, as Soma's face turned serious. Behind him, the three stooges plus the housekeeper stood with different expressions.

Amelia crossed her arms with a raised brow, Bardroy was smirking, Finnian looked like he was lost, and Mey-rin had a little "o" as well, but was more obvious than Ciel's.

"From now on, I'll learn lots more and travel all over England—no, the world. And become a fine enough man not to lose face to anyone."

Just a few steps from them, the two butlers watched. Agni spoke first, turning to Sebastian. "Mister Sebastian," then he knelt on the floor with his head hung low, making the other butler raise a perfect eyebrow at the sudden gesture.

"The Prince and I have gained so much from you all. I could not begin to thank you." He said sincerely. Sebastian went down as well to level with him, offering Agni his free hand.

"Please raise your head. I merely fought on my own behalf. I have done nothing to be thanked for." Agni looked up at him with wide eyes as if he were some sort of god as well, little shades of pink on his cheeks but weren't that obvious.

"Just as the gods you believed in, Kali and Shiva could take the pain they hold and see their mistakes; so it is with you both." Sebastian continued while Agni had his hands in a prayer position.

The demon smirked slightly. "Also, I doubt a bonding experience with no pain would be a fruitful one." Agni took Sebastian's hand and stood up. "To be taught my own country's teachings by an Englishman," he put a hand behind his head and smiled quite sheepishly. "I am truly humbled."

"Nationality doesn't matter." Sebastian spun slightly and took a few steps ahead of them. "Wherever and whenever you are, there are always similarities." He stopped, the color of the sun setting in the distance in contrast to his all-black attire and hair.

"Between  _humans_ , that is."

Without knowing what the demon was truly trying to say, Agni simply smiled and looked ahead, "That's true. Just as the sunset by the bank of the Ganges and the sunset of England are both beautiful."

Everyone enjoyed the sunset and the serenity of the moment until it was once again ruined by the Indian prince. He got teary-eyed, looked like he was about to cry then just let it all out on Ciel as he hugged him tight.

"Meena! Meena!" he kept yelling out her name as he wailed, some snot coming out of his nose as well. Ciel struggled hard but it was actually pointless, making Amelia snicker behind them.

"Let me go!"

Agni's eyes softened more. "I am so glad we came to England." He turned to look at Sebastian once again with a close-eyed smile. "The Prince and I have both made the best of friends."

As soon as he said this, Sebastian's eyes were wide once again, similarly as when he saw the three stooges working and not being useless. " _Friends_ , you say?"

The poor, dear housekeeper couldn't control it and just chuckled when her eyes fell on the face of the demon butler. For the meantime, he ignored it due to the impossibility of the Indian's words, but swore to get back at her later on. "That is the first time someone has called me that."

"Stop it! You're getting me wet!" Ciel complains.

" _That's what she said_." Amelia said a little too loud for all of them to hear, as she was now shaking in laughter and earned different reactions from them.

Soma kept wailing; Ciel glared at her, along with Sebastian. Bardroy grinned boyishly, Finnian still looked lost, Mey-rin was blushing furiously, and Agni sweat-dropped.

But as of the moment, she didn't mind them that much. Especially the ones who glared at her.

Well, not until Sebastian helped his young master get the snot and tear-filled prince off of him and passed him towards the laughing lady.

"Birds of the same feather flock together; you two are being quite noisy." Sebastian simply stated, fake smile in place.

For the first time, Amelia didn't care at all, much to his disbelief and disappointment. Or maybe it was just a facade she had on. Nobody knows. "Thanks Sebastian, I needed to lean on someone while laughing, so I _deeply_ thank you." She said between laughs, trying to stop herself but couldn't. 

She wrapped an arm around the prince's waist, since he was a bit taller than her. "No worries, I haven't gone completely insane. Trust me, I've witnessed way too much to lose it now,"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly. Ciel noticed it and his annoyed scowl turned up into a smirk. He whispered to his butler. "Jealous?"

Sebastian controls his facial muscles to make himself unreadable, "Absolutely  _not_ , Young Master. Well, the festival is over, we shall all head back to the mansion  _now_."

Back at the townhouse, all was well and Amelia had changed to another uniform because Soma really soiled the previous one she wore with tears and snot. It took a while to calm him down and it was an understatement to say that Ciel was pissed the whole carriage ride home.

What made Amelia to stop laughing was the snot that got on her face, which in turn, made the sadistic butler Sebastian smirk evilly, along with the lines of, "Serves you right."

And now the two of them were in the kitchen, alone, cleaning up after the people they serve. Amelia Midford took this chance to pay him back with a little teasing.

"So, how does it feel like to be called a friend?" with a smirk, she asked the butler who was washing dishes.

Not minding the haughty look on her face, which he so wanted to wipe off, he instead answered with a deadpan. " _Strange_. Those two are really—?"

"Naïve?"

"The Prince is, but Agni is a different matter altogether."

Amelia chuckled again, while drying the dishes that Sebastian washed. "Agni has wisdom that the Prince should listen to, every now and then; he's a good companion to be with, although he has a tendency of babying the Prince. I thought I'd hear your 'humans are interesting' line from what happened, in all honesty."

Sebastian looked at her, the serious face turning into a suspecting one. The demon ignores what she said, "You've been laughing a lot lately." he commented, trying to tick her off but no, she won't be.

"Well, the Christmas season's nearing anyway—as if you care about it for obvious reasons that only my cousin and I know of—and also," she paused and walked away towards the door since she was done with her share of work.

She turned the knob and opened the door then looked back at Sebastian with mischievous grin and winked, pointing her thumb towards herself.

" _You've got a friend in me._ "


	32. Snowballs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

It was nice, rimy and cold: a typical winter day at the Phantimhive manor, with the sun in the sky; but since it was winter it wouldn't be too hot, not at all. White, fluffy snow covered the roof, the garden, and the dried up branches surrounding the Phantomhive mansion. And Amelia Midford was one to enjoy and take advantage of these rare and precious moments, deciding that for once, she need not be the responsible housekeeper.

Ah, what does a housekeeper do? Her daily duties were structured and organized, having as much authority as the butler, only for female servants. It was expected for the housekeeper to rise early to see whether her subordinates are performing their respective duties to excellence. She had to make sure as well, that everything was satisfactory for breakfast, both for the young earl and the servants. She also handles the accounting job, keeping a weekly record of the daily expenses and compiling receipts. She even manages the ordering and marketing of goods.

But with such a delightful weather, and her body tired from her extra work, such as protecting the manor and her cousin from last night's ambush attack, the night before it, and the recent Curry bonanza, Amelia made it so, to not to get up early that day because she sorely needed rest. She wanted rest and extra cuddle time with her pillow, rolled up in her blanket, and tucked in the soft bed. Ah yes, things like those—especially those, would make her lazy.

The temperature was really one for cuddling with someone, just staying in bed all day with nothing and not wanting to do anything at all. She didn't know why, it was sudden, but she was having a rare, good dream.

All the bright and happy childhood memories flashed in her dream.

" _My favorite?! Thank you!_ " she exclaimed with a childish giggle, her eyes bright with glee when she had her favorite soup on her birthday, with the people she loved the most. The images shifted, to the time when she was allowed to go Christmas caroling with some of her friends. It was then, she tripped on her toes, and landed on the snow, and when she got up, the memory switched to when she first made a snowman and had a snowball fight.

In her dream now, she and Elizabeth were behind a mound of snow. They were teamed up against their brother, Edward. Their parents were out on some important business and they had to stay at home, because that day was a free day for them. No tutors, no fencing, no dancing, no balls.

Amelia made a snowball, making Elizabeth squeal in delight. But the brunette, who, at the time, wore a blonde wig to keep appearances, held a finger to her lips, telling the younger blonde to remain silent. The elder sister peeks from behind their fort, and sees Edward walking by, looking for them, defenseless. She gives a good throw, having been constantly training with Frances Midford, and just before it hits the back of Edward's head, Elizabeth calls for her brother.

When Edward turns, the snowball lands perfectly on his face.

Amelia laughs triumphantly, and the servants nearby simply smiled at the siblings' antics. " _Eddie! You should have seen your face! Oh wait, you can't, because you're covered in snow!_ " she resumes laughing at Edward's folly, but was halted by another snowball hurled in her direction by her brother.

But when she wiped the snow off her own face, already planning revenge for the counterattack, the dream seemed to change; for this time, as she picks up some snow, it would seem like Sebastian's shadow was visible, towering behind her.  
Her young, dream-self paused, and when she turned around, Amelia was awoken with a pillow smashed harshly to her face.

She shot her eyes open, death glare and punches all set and ready. But when her green eyes were met with red ones, the housekeeper just whined like a little kid does and slouches.

"Not the best way to end a good dream, you Deuce." The brunette groaned out, then landed on her pillows, turning over and hugged another pillow, cuddling it. Her statement made Sebastian's brow twitch, but continued with his intention of getting her out of that bed. "Amelia, you do know that you are a servant now in this mansion and you, of all people as a housekeeper, are tasked with getting up early."

"It's early in the morning and you start reprimanding me for nothi—?"

" _Oversleeping_. And would you look at the time?"

" _Whun-i-vur_." Her retort was muffled since she dug her face in her pillow. The demon butler rolled his eyes and was going to pull the blanket off but unbeknownst to him, the brunette was watching his movements through her curly hair, feigning sleep.

And so Amelia hit him back with a pillow and chuckled at his surprised face. Sebastian's eyes narrow and he hit her face back with the same pillow. "No, Amelia, I _don't_ wish to have a pillow fight with you." Sebastian spat through gritted teeth when the said lady raised a pillow up in the air.

"It's a cold morning, no need to be so hotheaded, Sebastian."

"It is already noon."

She ignores him, "It's just that I have never enjoyed my dreams the way I did with this one that you ruined." The lady states and gave up, yawning while stretching her arms. Even though she felt a little pain searing through her back, she brushed it off.

"Must've been stress…" Amelia mumbled, rolling her shoulders as she got off the bed, about to dress herself up in her uniform.

"What is it now?" Sebastian asked, standing at the far-end side of the bed. The brunette lifts her brows in mock surprise, "Oh, you're still there? Perhaps you can try and control your _urges_ and leave me to dress without your prying presence."

Without another word, Sebastian shook his head and heaved a sigh, turning his back on her. Sensing that she might have gone too far with her words, she clears it up, "Alright, I was teasing. My left shoulder has been in pain lately, so I assumed that it must be because of stress." Amelia said while looking at her reflection in the vanity, sensing the demon's thinning patience. From the mirror, she sees him look back at her then. 

"Is that so? If it doesn't kill you, then it is not smallpox nor any serious disease. Now go on, get dressed and start working." Turning on his heel, he walked towards the room's door. "Yes, sir." The housekeeper answered back with a wince that came shortly after it, standing from the vanity to slip off her nightgown.

Sebastian stepped out and was about to close the door completely, making Amelia think that he's gone. While the brunette was removing her nightgown halfway, Sebastian caught a nice and clear glimpse of her bare back.

The butler's eyes widen slightly, flashing its magenta hues and slit pupils. His mouth opens, revealing fangs, then silently shutting the door close behind him. Sebastian seems pleased with himself, and his eyes still remain in their demon-like state as he murmurs in a deep, chilling voice, "It has begun; her soul... will _verily_ _soon be mine_ ,"

* * *

"Mey-rin, have you ever made a snowman before?" the housekeeper said, placing a snowman ornament on the large Christmas tree. A hum was heard on the other side as the cherry-haired maid thought of an answer.

"Well, I've tried several times before, yes, but it doesn't really end up looking like a snowman." she replied with a sheepish smile. Amelia nodded, remembering how much of a klutz Mey-rin was. "I see, how about a snowball fight then?" Amelia kept asking her and this time, while putting a fake snowflake on the tree.

"I assume you're not planning on anything involving snowballs and 'fights'," Sebastian interrupted their conversation, holding another box in his hands. Amelia stands straight, crossing her arms by her chest, "Mey-rin isn't, but I am. If I get lucky, which is not always the case, I would involve even the Young Master." 

The butler places the box on the floor while replying, "I highly suggest you refrain from carrying on such plans." The housekeeper scoffs, then changes the subject. "Speaking of which, will the Young Master be holding a Christmas ball? If not, then there is no substantial meaning to all this decor."

"Mia, it's quite a surprise that you speak as though you don't know the Young Master really well." Sebastian stated, bringing out the garlands from the box. Amelia stepped down from the ladder for the butler to use, even if he didn't need to if only Mey-rin wasn't present.

"Sebastian, catch!" she grinned and tossed a big star to be put atop the said tree. The demon effortlessly caught it anyway, between his fingers, but still sent a glare towards her. Not minding his glare, Mey-rin clapped her hands on the side at the sight.

"But still, I wish we could have a Christmas party. You know, just us here giving gifts to each other then eating together in one table; _regardless_ of societal status for a change." Amelia rambled on loudly, before handing Mey-rin a wreath to hang on the doors.

The house maid nodded, making a sound of agreement. Sebastian, again, disagrees with her plan. "Your wish would be impossible to grant, I'm afraid. Persuading the Young Master for such would be difficult, even for you."

"Is it only just the Young Master then? Is it not true that it is also quite impossible for _you_ , for you are a _d_ —!" Before she could even say the word "demon", Sebastian shoots her a quick, menacing glance, with his eyes turning into their demonic ones for a split-second. Amelia stops herself, also reminded that Mey-rin was with them. The brunette decides to follow up with, "... _d_ -d _ork_ that... hates Christmas." 

' _Ah, Mia... it's too early for you to die yet. Kindly remind it to yourself, you silly lady!_ ' she scolds herself internally, and taking, slow, steady breaths at barely surviving.

The butler steps down from the ladder after artfully affixing the big star on the tree. He picks up a garland and rolls it on his gloved hands, grinning so they could see his gritted teeth. "I would much prefer your presence _elsewhere_. It's quite alright, I shall be taking over from here." His eyes simply screamed bloody murder as he pulled on the garland tighter.

The housekeeper chuckles sheepishly, then drops the ornaments she were holding back into a box. Then, she grabs Mey-rin's free hand. "But of course! If we're being hindrances then," she begins to drag the confused house maid with her, "Come now, Mey-rin, we wouldn't want our heads served for dinner tonight." 

' _That was close…_ ' she sighs internally, and her hastened escape led them both to the kitchen, where Bardroy would be smoking while tinkering with his secret blowtorch.

The chef puffs out some smoke, "Oh? What you two lasses doin' here? Aren't 'ya supposed to be decorating?" Bardroy asked them as they each sat on one of the seats. After recollecting herself, the housekeeper replies after rolling her eyes, "Aye, I do not think that _you_ of all people, are not aware nor not familiar with when Sebastian's growing impatient."

Bardroy decided or rather, didn't see the need to inquire further regarding their issue and what caused the butler's temper to thin with the two female servants. Instead, he decides to provoke Amelia by bringing up a long-forgotten matter. "Reminds me, you failed at giving us a silent treatment ' _for the rest of our lives_ ' ever since we failed at getting Sebastian's photo, and you had to, what, _kiss_ him?"

Amelia fights off a blush from making its way to her cheeks, the memory of the demon's lips dancing along hers sending a shiver through her spine. The brunette denies that involuntary feeling she felt at that moment and retorts, "Don't dare change the subject," She gains confidence through her slowly growing annoyance, that made her smirk. "You really wouldn't like it if I give you that punishment."

"Nawh, you're just too talkative for a lady." Bard smirked.

A tick mark appeared on Amelia's forehead, clenching her fists in a petty attempt to calm herself down. ' _I did not spend my entire life learning how to be a proper, respectable, woman of high society, just for a self-proclaimed chef to mock me by saying that I am anything but._ ' 

It just ticked her off to some degree, thinking about all those hardships she had to endure because of the universal truth that Frances Midford is a very strict woman.

And so, she decided to give Bardroy what he thought of her.

With a smirk, she stood up and slowly inched towards the blond chef. "Very well, if that's what you believe in; I'm in a mood for snow, balls and fights. What do you say?"

Bardroy raised a brow, noticing the slightly evil aura emitting from her. He blows out smoke to the side then begins with a condition, "If I win—?!" However, before he can even continue, Amelia had already slammed a hand on the table separating them from each other, causing him to flinch. "No, _when_ I win, you have to give me half of your last month's pay. _If_ you win, which I highly doubt, I'm prepared to do just one thing you ask me of."

Bardroy hummed for a while, weighing out the pros and cons of the condition.

"Deal."

He stood up, mashed his cigar on the table to put out the fire, then went for the back door that leads to the snow-filled outside area of the mansion after grabbing some warm clothing off the rack.

While watching the chef's retreating figure, Amelia murmurs as she clenched a fist, "At all costs, I shall win."

Mey-rin tries to low-key convince her not to push through with it by emphasizing on the prize she asked for, "F-For a few shillings, yes?"

The brunette has just worn a coat at the time, and stopped by the doorway. Ah, but her resolve has already been determined. "Do you not want to receive a nice holiday gift from yours truly?" Amelia winked at the cherry-haired maid, making the latter grin hesitantly. Then again, it did sound good having a treat from your co-worker. 

Once outside, Amelia began laying out the rule, which was very simple. Meanwhile, Finnian passed by and he asks the house maid the purpose and the story behind what ever it was that his two friends will be doing; seeing as how serious they both looked. 

"I'll stay on this side, you go there. First one to slip and hit the snow-coated ground loses." The housekeeper finished, before she began to build a small snow fort. 

* * *

While Sebastian was still decorating, obviously taking his time since his master was busy with paperwork; then the mailman came and caught his attention from outside. Getting the thick pile of letters, which were presumably, invitations from random nobles for random parties again, he sighed and went to Ciel's study and knocked.

A faint "come in" was the signal for Sebastian and he stepped in. 

"What is it, Sebastian?"

"Your mail, Young Master."

The Phantomhive earl groaned and soon as his butler placed the thick pile, he started browsing through the random mail. Ciel went about it by tossing the ones he isn't at the least interested in, to the floor. All the while, the butler made the list of rejects.

It was going well, saying the names that invited him until he abruptly stopped on the last one, his face slowly turning to that of anxiousness, even paling a bit and sweating despite the cold. " _Oh no_ …"

Sebastian raised a brow at this rare reaction his master showed. "What seems to be the matter, Young Master? Is it another letter from the Queen?"

The boy shook his head. "No, actually it's… it's from _Aunt Frances_."

Hearing the woman's name, Sebastian felt the same thing his master did, although decided not to let it show too much. He watched as Ciel read the letter in silence. Once he was done, the lad simply sighs exasperatedly and faintly drops it on his table. "She says it's for a small family get-together during the Holidays. Obviously, Elizabeth will be there, which of course might lead to another one of her dance parties. More importantly,"  
Ciel paused, entwining his fingers together, and playing with his thumbs in a rhythmical tapping. " _Amelia_ has to know about this. Where is she? Get her to this room,"

The butler's eyes narrow, "Now that you mention it Young Master, it seems fairly quiet and no explosions have happened yet as of today."

"You mean, _awfully_ quiet; which is both good and bad at the same time. No matter, just go get Mia so we could discuss."

"Understood."

The demon bowed first before exiting the room. Using his demonic hearing, he tried to listen for one of the three stooges' voices because they're obviously going to be with the housekeeper.

Following the sound, he managed to make his way towards the huge backyard of the mansion. Opening the kitchen's backdoor, he was welcomed with something white and cold thrown to his face.

" _Uh-oh_ …" Bardroy muttered, fear instantly invading his mind, body and soul. His guts were telling him to get the hell out of that place. Being the vengeful person that she is, Amelia used this chance to hurl a bunch of big snowballs all at once towards the chef, who looked like he was about to piss his pants. He doesn't even try to avoid it anymore, yelling, "Throw 'em harder, Mia! I forfeit! 'Ya better kill me now with the snowballs!"

But Sebastian was way quicker, catching the following snowballs at once. The chef was sure he was shivering in fear, not because of the cold. "Kindly explain why you are all not working?" He threw a punch towards the back of Bardroy's head and dropped the collected snowballs on his face. Mey-rin and the gardener had long gone flitted from the scene and there, Amelia stands. She wipes the remnants of ice on her coat, "Sheesh, cool up a bit Sebastian. And I thought one snowball was enough to _chill_ you."

The butler would have snorted at the pun, if _he_ wasn't hit in the face. "And I assume this was started by you?" Sebastian stepped closer, brushing a few more snow off his uniform. "The Young Master calls for you, come." 

Amelia stood up from behind her fort, rolling her eyes in the process. 

"I obviously win this time, Bard _-fro_ since you forfeited. You can leave the money in my room's desk. Told you, there was never a time when I lost a snowball fight, Mr. Soldier." She said triumphantly while following the butler back inside.

The two head servants walked in silence and the female one waited for what the demon had to say, unable to bask in the glory of her victory.

"You're becoming much like those three and I'm having a hard time believing it. Well, you are a human after all."

The brunette scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. I'm merely enjoying the snow and the free time you _actually_ gave me, since sleeping is not an option at the moment, after you ruined it just this morning. You've been acting like a dog in the manger throughout the day."

Sebastian clenches a fist, probably because he was compared to a dog yet again; and Amelia notices it. The housekeeper shrugs, unaffected, ‘ _If he’s being annoying, then I will be annoying him as well,_ ’ Looking at anywhere but him, she murmurs, "So, why does Ciel want to talk to me?"

The butler raises a finger, “It is not right for you to change the topic just yet. I'm pondering over what punishment to give you, after hosting a child's game of snowballs."

"For your information, not only children do snowball fights. You're just a demon with a stick up your—!" by this time, the butler had gave her a glare, his eyes slightly changing into the cat-like ones. It was a first that he had to do this for a bunch of times in a day.

" _Ah_ , Bard's influence on your language…" he muttered a little too loud for her to hear as they arrived outside the earl's study. Sebastian knocked once again. Walking in right after him, Amelia saw Ciel's slightly, agonized-filled face.

"Excuse me, I must make the preparations for dinner." Sebastian said with a slight bow, knowing that his master and the brunette had to speak in private, without him, so left the room and tended to his duties.

Sighing in relief at his exit, Amelia took a seat in front Ciel's desk. "You seem troubled. What's the matter?"

"Well, firstly, _you_  must not freak out too much. It's just that… someone is going to visit."

Amelia was still clueless at the implication and blinked once, "Oh, okay? And?"

"You may want to write up a nice alibi in your head starting now. I know you're good at it."

The housekeeper gulped, already catching on her heartbeat going faster. "I'm having a weird hunch about who this _someone_ is. Don't tell me _she's_ going here?!" Amelia gripped on the edge of the table, wanting her cousin to prove her assumptions wrong. But then, Ciel nodded with an exasperated sigh, shaking his head again. "I know right, and Elizabeth would obviously be going with her and I feel that another dance party would ensue."

"I don't care about the dance party or any more _overtime_ because of it. But… _she'll_ be there? Are you _certain_? Surely you're mistaken, right?"

"See for yourself." Ciel pushed the letter towards her and she began to read it with worried eyes and scrunched eyebrows. Placing the letter back down on the desk, the young earl finally asked her, trying to reassure himself more than his cousin.

"What's wrong if Aunt Frances came here anyway? No, I mean, it's not like she'll recognize you or anything, also, she believed that you're dead. Your hair's changed remember? Even your name is different; well, _slightly_ different. And like I said, you're good at coming up with alibis."

Amelia shook her head, massaging her temples in a slow manner. ' _No, you're wrong. You know how good that woman is when it comes to recognizing people._ ' She thought warily. Biting on her mouth cheeks, she looks up at the Phantomhive earl with guilt in her eyes for being such a burden to the already burdened lad.

"Ciel, I think you're... forgetting one very important fact about me. Think about it, please." She fiddled with her skirt, watching as Ciel drummed his fingers on his desk. With a heavy sigh, he raises a brow at her. "I'm sorry, I do not seem to recall anything _relevant_ about... you."

With her heartbeat ringing in her ears, and being too focused on revealing one of her many secrets, the brunette was not able to feel or hear the door open by none other than Sebastian. And at that exact time, Amelia had blurted out the one fact that time has erased, that even Ciel has already long forgotten.

"I was adopted, remember?"


	33. Not My Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"I was adopted, remember?"

"You were? I don't... recall such,"

Amelia sighs shakily, before taking another breath. "It's because you were too young then, and perhaps you didn't understand." Ciel scratches the back of his head, unable to reply, then turns his attention to the butler at the doorway. "What is it, Sebastian?"

At the mention of the butler's name, the housekeeper seems startled, freezing in place before slowly turning to look at the raven-haired man with wide eyes. Sebastian steps in, and bows his head. "Young Master, it is time for dinner." As he stood tall, his eyes bore onto the housekeeper's, and she felt a trickle of sweat run down the side of her face. "W-Well, that was fast," the brunette was able to muster a sheepish smile as Ciel walks ahead.

"We shall continue this discussion later," the earl says finally, causing Amelia to stand as well, bowing to her cousin-by-paper, and follow him out. As they passed by the butler, she gulps feeling his gaze on her back. 

While walking down the hallway, Amelia couldn't figure out which she was more worried of: the fact that her foster mother would be coming in a few days' time, or the fact that Sebastian must have heard the truth that she wasn't really a Midford by blood, but merely by paper. Her thoughts ran about, overthinking her situation as she carried on with her usual task, remaining silent. They've already reached the dining area at this point and she was just stuck in her head.

' _Do I hide on the day itself? Impossible, the other servants would be confused; and Elizabeth_ might _look for me. Then again, I'm pretty sure Sebastian heard it loud and clear. Is he angry that I kept a secret, said a lie? He's probably used to that, right? Wait, why am I even thinking of this? Why am I thinking of_ him?! _Shit, no, what if_ she _recognizes me? But she believes I'm dead right?_ _Ciel said so..._ _No, no, no, no!'_

She exhales heavily, while standing in the dining hall, watching over her cousin eat. The butler notices her anxiety, how hardly she bit on her lip as she held back her emotions with her head bowed lower than usual. ' _I just don't want to return there anymore. I…_ _don't_ belong _there_.'

Once Ciel was done, instead of helping them out with the cleaning, the housekeeper ran to her room and in there, let out a small scream of stress and panic. Amelia began pacing back and forth, but still took notice of the small bag that would be filled with Bardroy's money on her desk. But that, to her, mattered less as of the moment. "Alright Amelia, you are a lady. You must remain calm. Yes, self, go on, _breathe_."

Feeling that her knees would give out soon, she made her way to the seat by her vanity, looking at her own reflection and begins talking to it. "First, let's see, your 'mother' is coming soon, and you have to act very convincing that you are just a mere 'coincidence' and a real plebeian. Now, here's what you have to do: when she begins her interrogation,"

From the outside, Sebastian stood and held the doorknob, hearing all her rambling as he processes his own thoughts as well. ' _So that's the reason why she was "used to" hearing comments that she doesn't look anything like Lady Elizabeth. Because she wasn't at all, related to them in the slightest._ _No matter, but the reason behind her adoption... just what is it?_ ' The demon then opens the door, startling the brunette.

" _My word_ , you should have knocked first."

"My apologies, there's no need for you to be so worried, however." He reassures her before adding, "The Young Master asks for your presence."

After straightening her skirt and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Amelia goes out, and Sebastian closes the door behind her. As they began their walk to the earl's room, the housekeeper mutters softly, "You need not speak to me so formally, nor show some manners,  _nor_ apologize for what you did earlier. After all, I am... but a servant."

"Nonsense, you still are a lady, and must be put in high regard."

Their walk seemed to take so long, and occasionally, Amelia would wince and grit her teeth. Sebastian paid no heed to this, and to distract her perhaps, he makes small talk. "You're adopted." the butler says this as a statement more so, than a question, as they head up the staircase. Amelia avoids looking at him, and nods her head.

"So, did you ever meet your real parents?"

The question was a surprise for her, since she thought he'd be more concerned about the reason why she was adopted, but to hear that he was curious whether she saw her real family pinched at her heart. ' _How strange for_ him _to ask. Or maybe I'm just looking too much into it; so much for wanting anyone to care,_ ' This time, she faces him, only to see that Sebastian was looking intently at her. She takes a breath, "About that... it's quite complicated, to say the least. I'm sorry," Amelia bit her lower lip, and the demon looks ahead.

"What is there to be sorry about?"

"You might think I'm being too sensitive regarding this matter," she shrugs, and they stood side by side in front of their master's room. "If this topic is something that bothers you, then there is no need for me to bring it up."

"Will you stay and listen?"

Sebastian looks to the side, pondering, "If the Young Master orders me out, or if you ask him to, then I would leave—?" Amelia stops him there, raising her palms up and waving them. "No! No... it's fine, if you're there. I'm assuming you're curious about it anyway. Or even if you're not, I suppose it's better for you to know the reason, than to start making wild guesses."

"If you insist," he bows slightly, before opening the door for her. The demon murmurs as he motioned for her to go in, "After you,"

Ciel was already seated on the edge of his bed, and he knew who were to expect that there was no need for a knock. He lets his cousin sit on the chair across him, while Sebastian stood near the door. The earl crosses his arms, the large and long sleeves of his nightclothes covering until his fingertips. He had already removed his eye-patch, and Amelia saw how the purple pentagram faintly glowed in the dim room.

"I've been thinking about it... and I vaguely remember my Mother saying that Aunt Frances and the Marquis simply helped my Father in one of his assignments regarding abandoned children being sold illegally. That you were one of those who were saved. I'm not quite sure about the details since it's been a long time, so what is it?"

"Well, before we discuss that, when will they go here? Will... Father and Edward come as well?" Amelia doesn't lean on the seat, but clenches her fists. Ciel hums, "Probably not; those two are busy men and they know Aunt Frances would be able to handle everything." At that, the brunette manages to smirk a little, remembering her "brother". "I would have loved to see Eddie again though; among us he's the... less efficient with a sword. I still don't understand why he would hate you," 

The earl rolls his eyes, "I already know that. It was clearly stated in the letter that they'll be here on Christmas Eve. How could you miss that part?"

"Sorry; it's just that I was too stunned," she trailed off, looking down. They were both silent then, with only Amelia's constant drumming of her fingers on the armrest. It lingered for a while, until Ciel decided to break it, since he was apparently, waiting for something. "Amelia, you still haven't answered my previous question."

Amelia catches him staring at her, and sadness begins to cloud her vision, but she gulped the tears down. "Alright, let's see... so, I am 'Lady Amelia Gwendoline Dorothea Midford', and was declared firstborn daughter of the Midford family, just a few months after your Aunt Frances and Marquis Midford got wed."

Then, she placed a fair hand to her chest, "My real name is Amelia Antoinette Avery Hetherington, which is supposed to be Howard, if only my parents were wed," Ciel raises a brow, "Howard...? No, could it be? It seems _awfully_ familiar, as though I've heard that family name before,"  

The brunette clutches on the necklace through her uniform, a bitter smile on her face. "That's because I am the late Duke of Norfolk's daughter." 

Ciel drew back but held his place, "You're a Duke's child?! But... why has no one ever mentioned looking for...?"

Amelia raises a finger to shush Ciel, causing him to trail off in his question. "Ah, you're so eager. That's because I am his daughter, and my mother is but a housemaid. I am no special noble, but a plain maid with some drops of a Duke's blood. Nothing more than a  _fake_." she spat out the last word with such venom that even she, herself could taste the bitterness lacing it.

Meanwhile, Sebastian was busy piecing together information about her that he's gathered so far, from the time spent with her. He was suddenly reminded of the puppet's words back then, and he could only stare as he listened to his own thoughts. ' _"_ _Amelia…_ Midford _. You, on the other hand,_ were not  _supposed to exist anyway; a child born of temptation and sin. You're an utterly unclean existence whose soul was unfortunately fated to live with a_ very unclean  _being that mocks the Most High."_ ' Internally, he smirks, and for what reason, nobody knows but him.

The brunette leans on the seat now, letting out air as she grins to try and ease off the tension. But her grin was empty, and never reached her eyes while thinking, ' _My whole life's but a lie._ ' 

When Ciel didn't speak, Amelia also decided to tell him that it could be the probable reason behind the puppet's and Drocell's constant stress on her family name. "So based from those, I'm pretty sure you can come up with something close enough to the real story...? Or, were you expecting that I'd tell you everything?"

The earl grunts, caught in his intentions. "So you're still deciding to hide it from me. I do not mind, in all honesty. It is up to you whether you wish to disclose your secrets or not— _that is your right_. Because I, for one... have my own." There was another meaning underlying those words, and they both knew not to cross the line and would rather respect each other's boundaries.

Amelia remembers Sebastian's presence and briefly looks at him from the corner of her eyes. "At least, you've been reminded that I am—not at all—your cousin, even for just a tiny bit." Her eyes cast down, but then she didn't expect the young earl to reach out and flick her forehead with a reprimand, "So what, if you're adopted? You have proven to me that you're what a Midford should be, so it doesn't matter whether or not you have their blood pulsing through your veins."

The housekeeper was busy rubbing at the spot she was hit when Ciel moves to position himself before he sleeps, and utters one last note, "Nobility resides in the mind, not in the blood, Amelia. Remember that."

She gasps and suddenly stood up to hug him. " _Thank you_ , really." Her voice quivers, and the tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Ciel let her be, for a while, and both were quiet and the young earl saw the demon glaring. Once Amelia's had her fill of the hug, she pulls away, wiping at her eyes. "I'll just face her, like a strong woman should. Perhaps we can say that I guided you to Houndsworth after nearly colliding into me. Therefore, you took me in since I had nowhere else to stay." 

Ciel nodded in agreement, settling for another lie. "Fine by me. Well, it is getting late; we have at least a day to prepare for Aunt Frances' visit. Good night, Mia." The young earl bids her then, and the brunette blows out the candles. 

Sebastian opens the door and out they go, into the dark hallway. It wasn't even long since they passed the master's bedroom, and the butler breaks the silence, whispering, "Pardon me, but I'm afraid I cannot accompany you to your room tonight. We have some people outside, about to do some  _caroling_."

Amelia understood right away what he meant, feeling for her daggers strapped to her thighs. "Would you like some assistance?" 

The butler ponders on it for a while, "Are you certain? I thought you'd prefer heading to bed and sleep?" The housekeeper already pulls her weapons out and walks ahead, with the demon following. "I do prefer that; however, my thoughts would not let me rest anyway. But if you think I'm just going to be a hindrance—?"

He puts a finger to his lips and goes ahead to open the back door, "Let's welcome them together and listen to their song," Sebastian offers to carry her, then wraps an arm around her waist. Amelia responds by holding onto him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

In less than thirty minutes, the two servants were able to wipe out the intruders and the men silently met their deaths, with their blood spilled onto the white snow in the forest. Sebastian thought the lady would have shivered at least once, but it seems that she wasn't affected by the cold. 

After that, they returned to the manor. Amelia was busy cleaning her daggers in the kitchen, and Sebastian leaned casually on the counter, watching her. "You were more agile today than usual, despite the cold." The brunette wipes the blades dry and shrugs, not showing her mild surprise at what the demon noticed. "I was just too focused on slitting their throats than slipping on snow," she pauses then returns her weapons to her holsters. "Today was quite numbing, as well. So... good night."

He nods and watches her leave first without even looking back at him, as though she has an aversion towards Sebastian. After making sure he had heard the door to her room close, the butler returns to his master's room, to find him awake and staring at the moon from his bed. "You called, Young Master?" 

"Is she asleep?"

"About to, I suppose; but I'm sure she'd have to toss and turn before she can. We have also... carried out with cleaning away some rubble in the snow. Did we possibly, disturb your slumber?"

Ciel shakes his head, then hugs himself tighter, his arms around his knees, balled up inside his blankets. "I just remembered  _that_ day; and realized that Mia and I have something in common. Ah, that also includes you, Sebastian." He looks back at him for a second, "The three of us, we're all just... _fake_."

"Would you like me to investigate about her further?" Sebastian asked, trying to stray from the topic. "No, I see no need for it; do you? Well, if it interests you, go ahead. I've been meaning to tell you this but I have a hunch,"

The demon is intrigued and raises a brow. "Kindly elaborate, My Lord." 

There were shuffling sounds, and it was from the young earl moving on his bed to face his butler. "She... Amelia... is she your...?"

Sebastian restrained his chuckle and spared a smirk, " _Oh_? My, _what_ , Young Master?" 

Ciel narrows his eyes, "Don't toy with me. It's either you lure her in for you to eat, or maybe you really are just bored, which made you seem so  _invested_ on her." The demon mocks him, "So is that why you called for me?" 

A pillow meets his face and he knows he's expected to answer seriously now. 

"I cannot yet give you the final answer for I am in the process of knowing it myself; however I am sure of one thing," He exposes his demonic eyes and fangs, glinting dangerously under the moonlight, while replying to the earl. 

" _Amelia is mine and mine alone._ "

Ciel lets out a devious smirk, "That just confirms it." 

Sebastian's eyes return to their usual red ones, and raised a brow. "If that is so, then I  _have_ taught you well indeed. The Young Master clearly is intelligent, as what she had said." 

Ciel gripped on the blankets and glared at Sebastian before landing on the bed, shooing him off, "Whatever. Just get out, I'm going to sleep." With a small, triumphant smile, the demon replies, "Yes, My Lord." 

* * *

The next day, Amelia got stuck with the demon again. Not that it annoys her, really; she still felt that Sebastian would be suspicious of her, that is why she would like not to encounter him too much in too big a mansion. She didn't want to give out any answers if he served her questions.

Somehow, Sebastian noticed her uneasiness and her unusual silence. He liked it sure, but she was too tense. "Ah, by the way, what did you mean when you told Bard to leave money on your room's desk?"

The housekeeper stiffened once Sebastian spoke and he didn't like it. "Oh, the money? Well, I just thought of going out the day after tomorrow to go shopping for gifts. It's nothing; I just wanted Bard to give him a taste of his own medicine and let him know exactly who he's messing with." Amelia responded, acting as if she was fine.

Well, after that was said, both of them had the same thought in mind.

' _Who_ is  _he messing with, really? I'd like to know her myself._ ' 

Sebastian taps on her shoulder, making the lady flinch; but needless to say, Amelia felt the weight on them lift even for just a brief time. Despite his gloved hands, and her heavy uniform, his touch on her felt cool. ' _If only he could... place his hand there for a while longer,_ '

"You know, Mia, you don't have to look so startled every time I speak to you."

"I don't know what you're saying."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes then smiled his closed-eye one. If he wanted a human lady to be _whichever_ of what his master believed, then he should make it someone suitable for him. He will _not_ accept this way of being treated, and she said so before that she wasn't afraid of him.

So, why was she acting like that now?

"If you think I suspect you or I would suddenly ask you about... _you_ ; please avoid thinking of such unnecessary thoughts in your head. Such a trivial matter doesn't bother me in the slightest."

The lady just sighed and twirled a strand of her hair while biting her lower lip. "I know that. You don't have to tell me…" she murmured and added in her head. ' _You don't have to tell me you don't care._ ' The brunette shook her head to get that idea out of her mind. "Forgive me if it sort of troubled you, I'm just nervous I think, for tomorrow."

The butler smirked. "Trust me my _dearest_ , you don't know how much more nervous the Young Master is."

Wiping her hands dry, she speaks as she goes to the door leading to the dining hall, "Well, I just hope everything goes well for all of us. Mother is a very strict woman and she goes to places _earlier_ than expected, so I highly suggest you wake Ciel up before the sun rises."

"Don't worry; I've got everything under control for tomorrow. After all, I am one _hell_ of a butler."

...Or so he says.

The day went by quickly and led to this.

"It has been a while since we last met, Marchioness Midford. As always, you have arrived earlier than expected." Ciel said warily, trying to maintain his composure under the strict and piercing glare of Frances Midford.

"Forget the formal greetings. Anyway, Earl Phantomhive, with that out-of-bed look, can I presume that you have just awaken?"

From the inside of the mansion, Amelia was peeking through the windows to get a glimpse of her foster mother and foster sister. In contrast to the elder woman's glare, Elizabeth stood behind her with a cheerful smile. ' _She didn't age nor change that much… but that serious face would give her wrinkles soon. Really, mother you are…_ '

"Ah, I warned him yesterday. He should've forced Ciel out of bed." She cracked her knuckles, while continuing to watch. "If only luck were real,"

Outside, Elizabeth squealed suddenly and hugged Ciel tightly, saying that his look is so cute, as always. As he was being strangled to death, he was rescued by Frances, who was thankfully there to scold her daughter.

"Elizabeth!" the young lady cringed at the sound of her mother's voice, at the harsh tone used to say her name. "It is not proper for you to engage in such improper actions. Also, you should be greeting him first!"

Frances sighs, "Even though this is where I lived in the past, I have _emphasized_ that you must still behave like a refined lady." A tick mark was visible on her forehead as she frowned upon her daughter that was stuttering out apologies.

The Marchioness moved to inspect the butler, facing him. Sebastian greets the two Midfords with a charming smile that would've made the ladies swoon in an instant. "It has been quite a while. Welcome, Marchioness, Lady Elizabeth. Thank you for taking the trouble to travel all the way here."

The woman's frown only grew deeper and in exaggeration, her eyebrows were too scrunched up that they were about to get in contact with each other. Sebastian sweat-dropped, much to the housekeeper's glee and amusement. "So even a _demon_ is afraid of _her_? She really is on a different level. l could get used to Sebastian being under her gaze after all."

The butler breaks the awkward silence, "If there is something on my face…?" he started, feeling uncomfortable with Frances' scrutinizing eyes.

"That face of yours is still the same as ever! What _indecent_ looks you possess!"

At this, Amelia snickered, seeing Sebastian's slightly baffled face.

He smiled sheepishly at Frances, "I was born looking this wa—!"

"And also," she continued and grabbed a hold of Sebastian's hair. The demon still held the fake smile in place but his eyes said otherwise. "Both the Master and his butler alike. The two of you are obviously _men_ , yet both of you keep your fringe long. Seeing it _irks_ me! Kindly learn from Tanaka!"

The brunette's snicker evolved into a chuckle. Soon after, Frances had brought out the one thing that looked like a deadly weapon for Ciel. "Aunt… Frances? Please, wait… wait a minute!"

Ciel's agonized scream was heard as the Marchioness combed his and also his butler's hair back. Once satisfied with their looks, she took a step back in content.

The young Phantomhive earl was shaking in anger, or disgust, or both probably. The butler held a fake smile as well, but in the inside was probably itching to kill her on the spot.

"I am really sorry that I have to trouble you for this, Aunt Frances…" without anything else to say, Ciel resigns with that.

Frances crossed her arms. "I just came to conduct a surprise spot-check before this year ends, and you are still lazing around like usual. Also, your butler is _still_ as indecent as ever."

She places a hand to her waist while looking down on him, "Bear in mind that you are going to be the man whom my daughter is marrying in the future. I am going to retrain you today! Firstly, I am going to check the inside of your house."

Sebastian turned slightly, a gloved hand motioning to the mansion, "In that case, allow me to lead the way." His eyes found Amelia's green ones and the lady nodded, disappearing from sight before the humans with him could see her.

Amelia began tying her hair up into a side bun, and raked her hand through her bangs to make them go into one side, clipping them in place so she looked clean and presentable. As planned, the housekeeper walks towards the kitchen to make sure everything was fine, however, having one thought in mind, ' _She was never really a "mother" to me. That's because she simply is not._ '


	34. Oddly Familiar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

Upon her arrival to the kitchen, Amelia felt like shooting herself when she saw that only the blond chef was there. "B-Bard…"

The chef looked at the housekeeper with a scrunched up face, probably still upset with losing half his last month's pay over a snowball fight. He's still thinking of how to get revenge. Bardroy scratches behind his head, " _What_?" he spat.

"Where are Mey-rin and Finny?" she asked, trying to keep her cool. Bardroy only shrugged his shoulders and huffed, crossing his arms by his chest. "Go look for them yourself."

Amelia tried not to punch him straight to his jaw with the attitude he was showing. ' _Now's not the time for him to be bitter over such an eventual loss,_ ' Instead of blurting it aloud, she sighs, "I'm going to go look for them so please, behave yourself and take after Tanaka." She pleaded and quickly left the kitchen.

The housekeeper frowned deeply after turning her back on him and rushed outside, cursing under her breath after being left with no other choice. "Dang it, if those two ruin any of Sebastian's preparations it'll be bad. _Very_ bad." She murmured, going first to the garden in the quickest way possible without trying to make much noise.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and the nobles all entered the mansion. The young Midford lady looked around, seeming to be looking for someone. "I thought Mia would be here to welcome us as well." Elizabeth said, pointedly looking at Ciel.

Hearing the name made Frances raise an eyebrow, before darting her eyes towards her nephew. Then, she remembers, "Ah yes, I've heard about you getting a new servant. I hope she isn't as indecent as your butler."

Frances made a snide remark, speaking with a firm voice, "I'll have to see her. I have to know that you choose reliable servants as well." The Marchioness said sternly. Sebastian ignores how she faithfully refers to him as indecent, then he began to lead them to some double doors. "Please be at ease, I have already ensured that everything is in place since yesterday."

Sebastian clears his throat, "Firstly, I will lead you to explore the garden. The winter roses bought from Germany are exceptionally beautiful—!" The butler held the knob and turned it, opening the double doors slightly only to see absolutely stunning destruction.

Apparently, Amelia was also, already there, her arms crossed before her and making an "x" for a no-not-good signal. Why, Finnian had already cut most of the roses, and some withered, killed and murdered through the pesticides. The brunette was a minute too late to stop him, and so the butler had to shut the doors once again. He turned to the group, a fake smile in place.

"I have made a mistake." He paused and started to step away from the doors. From the inside, Amelia locks it in case anyone tries to open it again. "I actually wanted you to explore the main hall."

"Why so? Since we are already here, we should start exploring from the garden!" Frances said, still frowning deeper, as she looked at Sebastian with a suspecting eye. However, Sebastian urged, "No. Please, come to the main hall. This way, please." The demon answered suddenly and walks ahead.

From the garden, Amelia had listened in to where they were heading next. Before she left, she reprimanded Finnian first by saying, "Finny, please, _please_ just go back to the kitchen after cleaning this up. Don't break anything on your way there, alright? Thanks!"

Finnian holds his tears in, then the brunette rushed to the main hall, trying to catch up and beat the group. Thankfully, she did and saw Mey-rin about to get some fine teacups off the cupboard. "Mey-rin! No, _stop_. Get down from there!" she said in a shouted whisper but was once again, too late. The fine china all break and crash to the floor, and without wasting time, Amelia warns Mey-rin, "The Marchioness and the others are about to arrive here. You can leave for the kitchen after you _immediately_ clean this up." She sighed exasperatedly at her subordinate and soon after that, came the opening of the doors.

"I have taken the liberty to order a wallpaper with a lovely design from France—!" Sebastian took a glimpse of the said hall and was rather disappointed, seeing what he didn't want to. Amelia held and covered Mey-rin's mouth since the housemaid was about to explain and apologize to her boss. The housekeeper motioned with her free hand how one drinks tea, and the butler understood what she meant.

"I suppose we should go to the greenhouse instead, to have tea."

"Why? I thought we are here to view the main hall." Once again, Frances is surprised and suspecting at the change of venue and plan.

"No. We shall have tea first. The two of you have been stuck in a cramped carriage for such a long time, both of you must be tired. I'm so sorry for not realizing this sooner—"

Amelia need not listen to them anymore, but she had to ascertain that Bardroy was not up to any plans of any trouble-making. She leaves Mey-rin to clean after herself and she sprints, her footing light and quick, back to the kitchen and she slammed the doors open. For once that day, she felt a surge of relief in finding Finnian and Bardroy lazing around there.

"I beg of you to behave. They're going to the greenhouse by this time and—?"

"Why the _heck_ are you freakin' out? You're never like this with any other guests?" Bardroy asked annoyingly while lighting up his cigar. The housekeeper decides not to stop him from smoking and took a deep breath to calm herself. The chef was right, she was a bit too jumpy that day. But all that was reasonable.

"Look, this is not just ' _any other guest_ '. The Marchioness Frances Midford is a very, _very_ strict woman. She is the mother of Lady Elizabeth, the mother of our Young Master's betrothed. She came to see each and every thing in this mansion where she used to live. Do you understand the situation we all are in, right now? So, if you do not wish to have your heads stabbed by stakes for display during the winter, then you listen." Her smile was terrifying, to say the least, more than her threat.

By this time, Bardroy was nodding frantically, feeling small compared to the smaller female while sensing a Sebastian-ish aura radiating from the housekeeper. Amelia's smile grew wider when Mey-rin had entered as well. She clapped her hands once, "Now, I hope that you three would heed to my request. I have something to do,"

* * *

"I have coincidentally purchased some excellent tangerines from Spain and I have been intending to use Ceylon tea grown in Dimbulla to serve you orange-flavored black tea." Sebastian stated as they made their way towards their destination.

He led them inside the beautiful greenhouse, all the flowers in bloom and just plain majestic; even that word was not enough to describe it. Inside was Amelia who would seem to have been waiting for them. She had her head down slightly as the group slowly went towards the resting corner Sebastian had prepared the day before.

Elizabeth beamed at the sight of the housekeeper. "Mia!" she ran towards her while giggling and grabbed both her hands, slightly startling the brunette. "It has been a while! This place is beautiful!"

" _Elizabeth_." Frances scolds her once again, but this time her eyes lands on the housekeeper to direct her attention to the brunette. "And you must be the new addition to the servants?"

The brunette makes a small smile, ' _This is what I've been preparing for._ ' 

Then, Amelia bows, "Yes, Marchioness Midford. The Young Master Ciel hired me for a housekeeper position. My name is Mia." She introduced herself, hoping that Frances would not at all recognize her. ' _But she saw me "dead", right?_ '

Frances jerked Amelia's head up while holding onto her chin. The action shocked not just herself, but everyone else. The strict woman eyes her skeptically and murmurs, "Your face is _oddly_ familiar."

"Did I not tell you so, Mother? She looks just like sister." Elizabeth stated, causing Amelia having to control her eyes from wavering even in the tiniest bit. Silence took over as Frances kept eyeing the brunette, probably thinking of what her real daughter said before letting go of Amelia's chin.

"Hm, she's not as indecent as the butler, but your face brings back _horrible_ memories." Frances said finally before they went and sat down. Amelia bit on her tongue, and pinched her palm, trying to avoid from breaking down at that point and bolting from the greenhouse. 

' _No, I'm... I'm strong, stronger than this. I'm fine, you're fine, Mia, you're doing good..._ ' she chants in her head as Frances seats on the center, Elizabeth on her right and Ciel on the left.

Butler and housekeeper served the nobles with their snacks and tea. "How is it, Marchioness? Is it to your liking?" Sebastian inquired, pouring tea for his master as well.

The elder woman sipped her tea and gave a curt nod. "It is not so bad." She placed the teacup down and looked over at Ciel. "I'm curious as to how your new servant came here."

Ciel straightened up a little before answering. "She was our guide to Houndsworth Village, after our carriage nearly crashed into her. Apparently, Mia was mistreated in the previous family she worked for so she escaped. In exchange, she vowed to serve me and protect this mansion," he paused to drink, contemplating whether or not to say it, but did so anyways. "Although, she _did_ remind me of cousin Thea when I saw her. It's as if she were her doppelganger."

"It's true," Elizabeth started eagerly, then looked directly into the eyes of the person they were talking about. "I've felt Mia's presence likened to sister's so I feel very much comfortable around her. Do you not think so too, Ciel?"

Placing her own teacup down, Frances interrupted. "Enough. Thea has been dead for about five years now; there is no need to talk about her. We all know that the dead could _not_ be brought back to life."

"At least, through Mia, we can relive the memories of the past; the memories with sister."

Amelia gripped on her skirt with her eyes slightly wavering, hearing Elizabeth's words. This wasn't left unnoticed by the demon butler, so he decided to change the topic. "Oh, I just remembered. There is a place which I have been intending for the Marchioness to look at, after you have finished."

Frances raised a brow, curious from what the indecent butler said. That action of hers alone was enough to have Sebastian spill the beans. "Even though it might not be really suitable for ladies to explore; anyway, let us all head to the stables later on."

He turned to Amelia with a small smile. "Mia, please do clean up after everyone has finished."

" _No_ , she'll be coming with us. Do you understand?" Frances wipes the corners of her mouth before taking a bite from the food.

"As you wish, Marchioness." The housekeeper replied while bowing once again. After straightening her body, the brunette went out to call for Mey-rin so the maid could clean; which she doubted could ever happen, but had to at least try anyway. ' _Just what on earth is_ she _thinking?_ ' Amelia questioned in her head while walking.

After Mey-rin had arrived with Amelia, the nobles who had been enjoying their snack finished soon after. They all stood, being led again by Sebastian and now, accompanied as well by the housekeeper. The group soon arrived to the stables in some other part of the large perimeter of the Phantomhive mansion.

"What do you think of this, Marchioness?" the butler started, a gloved hand on the horse's chin. "I have specially bought a horse with a blue-black coat as the Young Master's personal horse. It has always been my wish to show this to the Marchioness."

Frances' eyebrows shot up slightly, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "It is indeed, a splendid horse! It has a nice build and possesses a good look," Then, an idea flashed through her mind, turning to Ciel with a smirk. "Oh, Ciel. Do you want to go hunting with me right now?"

"With Aunt?" the young earl felt a drop of sweat slide down the side of his face.

' _And thus begins her provocation. But of course, Ciel, being the child that he really is, would fall for her bait. How_ great _._ ' Amelia sighed in her mind, refraining from shaking her head as she did. The brunette seems familiar with the Marchioness' methods of testing her children's future spouses. ' _Ah, really, men or women, as long as their pride is at stake; there is no difference..._ '

"Ciel, let's have a competition!"

The relatives stared at each other, and it was so intense that Amelia could swore she saw lightning bolts.

Therefore, it was decided that they have a hunting competition. As ordered, the preparations were made and off they went towards the woods. Ciel rode his horse with a shotgun slid on his shoulder, while Elizabeth sat in front of him, poised like a princess, and probably thinking their situation as such in that way; and the reins were being pulled by Sebastian. Behind them was the Marchioness riding alone on her horse, and Amelia walking by her side.

"Young Master, this way please." The butler said, ushering them to where most the animals should be, as what the demon could pick up with his inhumane senses.

"Does your butler serve as a hunting dog too?" Frances asked, somehow amused and sarcastic at the same time. The butler tries to be patient, especially with what Ciel replies to that, "You can put it that way, it is somewhat true."

When the butler stopped, the housekeeper stood beside him, holding back her own smirk at the recent exchange between the two nobles. Both servants looked at the competitors, and the housekeeper raises an arm towards the surroundings. "In that case, we shall start from the vicinity of this area."

She clears her throat and begins to explain and lay out the rules, "The area where you are able to shoot is bounded by a perimeter of twenty-five kilometers. It is also forbidden to shoot birds that are lower than the height mentioned. Would that be alright?"

Sebastian took out his pocket-watch, when there were no qualms made after. "We shall begin now. The time limit is three hours."

Frances pulled on the reins of her horse and rode off, bidding the young Phantomhive, "I shall see you later, Ciel!" they all turned their heads, watching her leave. Determined, Ciel asks his fiancee, "Lizzie, I think you should get off the horse. I'm unable to hunt with our current state."

Elizabeth makes a sound of disbelief, whining, " _Hmm~_? But I'm seldom able to be with you like this…?" A loud bang echoed through the forest, startling the cute couple and ending their growing banter.

"1:0 my, the Marchioness certainly lives up to her name. Soon as the competition began, she managed to shoot an innocent bird," Amelia declares, slightly shaking her head with a small smile as she spoke of the elder woman with undeniable praise and respect. "It seems that she is a bit too tough for someone like you, Young Master." Sebastian goaded, making Ciel scowl. As soon as Sebastian said this, Ciel shoots a bird right by Elizabeth's ear, shocking the lady.

"Even though I feel a little bad towards Aunt Frances, I'm certainly not losing at anything that has 'competition' written all over it." the Phantomhive earl smirked, looking at Elizabeth. "Lizzie, stay here with Sebastian and Mia as it is going to be dangerous. Do you understand?" he said while helping her down the horse.

Elizabeth seems disappointed at first but then when she looked up at Ciel and sees his determined face, her eyes sparkled with adoration, even blushing as she felt her heart skip a beat at how "manly" Ciel seems to be at that moment. The lady Midford obliges, watching as Ciel disappeared into the woods, the two other servants her only company.

After a few minutes of silence, Elizabeth spoke. "I'm so relieved,"

Amelia raised a brow in curiosity. "Why could that be so, My Lady?"

"Ciel has finally returned to his usual self. I worried over him, for I am aware how close he is to Madame Red," she sighs deeply, and the memory of the lady in red stroke even Amelia's heart since even she was not able to attend the funeral due to her unwanted injuries; courtesy of the death god in red. Amelia sneaks a glance at the butler, then was reminded again that her aunt, was apparently knowledgeable of her real identity. 

Shaking those thoughts off, the brunette decides to listen further to her supposed younger sister, "It is just that, I do not wish for Ciel to have any more of unhappy memories to ever befall his person." Elizabeth explains, then continues with a sheepish smile on her small lips. "That is the reason why I always try to cheer him up using my own methods. As I'm sure you know and notice, in contrast to my intentions, my efforts do not normally produce the desired effects."

Amelia nods solemnly, unable to deny such, and spares a chuckle when the young Midford blushes deeply and pouts her lips at the housekeeper. The brunette bows slightly, "Pardon me for my manners, My Lady. However, despite the Young Master's stone-hard barrier and normally cold demeanor, he actually, truly cares for you." 

Elizabeth gasps, and looks away, stuttering, "Th-That's... I do not mind you giggling at my confession, though I will admit, I tend to overdo things and anger him in the process."

Sebastian smirked, and then knelt down with a fake smile. "As what Mia has said, I am sure the Young Master has always kept your concerns for him in mind."

The little girl smiles at him, "Thank you, you are so kind Sebastian."

Another round of gunshots was heard. The butler stood up, getting his pocket-watch to check the time. "5:4"

The brunette grinned, watching a bunch of birds fly away, "Such a close fight! Who'd have thought that this competition will be _this_ intense?" Amelia looks down on Elizabeth and offers her hand, "Come now, Lady Elizabeth. We should cheer them on."


	35. How, Why, What

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

The time for the aunt and her nephew to hunt was soon exhausted. They reunited in a small, quaint and simple resting area that Sebastian and Amelia have prepared together. They readied a long table, where Frances sat across the young couple. Delicious snacks, as expected, were already being served and placed before them.

"The Marchioness has hunted a total of 15 animals which consists of: 10 pheasants, two foxes and three rabbits. The same amount goes with the Young Master, who in turn, has hunted 11 pheasants, three foxes and one rabbit." The housekeeper announced, looking up from the sheet of paper in her hand, while the other hand held a quill.

"Let us conclude this as a draw. What do both of you think?" Sebastian asked, while clasping his hands together, a fake smile in place.

Frances crossed her arms, her nose high up in the air. "I cannot take this while sitting down! I will not be appeased unless there is a victor."

Ciel, on the other hand, rested his chin on his palm, his face with a smirk. "I agree with you this time, Aunt Frances; even though occasions whereby I agree with you are rare."

Amelia resisted the urge to face-palm at the moment, once again seeing the sparks of lightning being sent across the table.

"In that case, we shall determine the winner through another competition in the afternoon." Sebastian concluded with his head hung low for a bit, the two competitors replying in low voices.

Amelia started to open the wine bottle when Frances spoke her reply to the butler, her eyes on the housekeeper as she watched her every move. "However, it seems that we have hunted all the prey that is available here. It is best if we change the venue for the afternoon session."

The butler hummed first, before looking back, as if making sure of something. Then, he replaced the serious look on his face with a small smile once again. Amelia felt suspicious about that action he made, but hid her emotions whilst pouring wine. Instead, she just raises a brow while thinking, ' _He must be hiding something… seriously… there goes my heartbeat again…_ '

"You shouldn't be worried, Marchioness. There is still _larger_ prey lurking around."

Sebastian's words made the brunette gulp. It was enough to confirm her hunches that the demon knows something else is out there. Whatever it was, the lady decided to be on guard and braced herself.

Deciding to cut the talk about the competition, Elizabeth grinned. "Well, since we have already decided on what to do later on, let's start eating!" She sniffs for effect then hums eagerly, "It smells delicious!"

As she spoke, a big and dark shadow loomed over from behind her, confusing her at first, then bothered her soon after noticing the silhouette of the animal it formed. Turning her head around slowly to verify the intruder's existence, it would seem that a large bear had appeared from the bushes.

Everything happened in a blur.

Frances, Ciel and Amelia all had almost the same expressions of shock while Sebastian remained stern, his eyebrows slightly scrunching. Elizabeth screamed for her dear life, unable to move from her spot.

Ciel rushed to the young girl's side to get her out the bear's reach, blocking the bear with his body, or more so shielding Elizabeth from the bear with his self.

A loud bang from a gun ended everything and they all turned to see Frances holding the said weapon.

A few moments of silence took over before Ciel smirked again, deciding to lift the mood. He looked up his aunt, "16-15. It seems like I have been defeated by you, Aunt Frances."

The woman makes a haughty grunt, "Hmph, it will take you ten more years for you to be able to defeat me. However…" She hung the shotgun over her shoulder before continuing, her strict gaze wavering a bit for the first time that day. "You are indeed worthy of my praise for the bravery you've shown, at the time when you gave it your all to protect my daughter."

Frances then held the gun in her hand; the other was behind her back as she bowed. "Which makes it so, that I owe you one. You are indeed worthy of being my future son-in-law, Earl Ciel Phantomhive!"

A few shades of pink tinted the said earl's cheeks as the words escaped the noblewoman's lips. 

Amelia lets out a breath of relief and forces a smile, "Alright, since the competition has ended, after you enjoy the meal, it would be the time for us to head home."

After finishing their snack, the nobles were ushered out of the area. The bear was taken care of and was to be carried along with them in their return. The nobles mounted their horses once again. Frances led the way and went ahead of the younger ones. 

As it was in the morning, the brunette servant had to accompany the marchioness, walking beside her. There was a good enough distance between them and the other three, and she was silent until minutes later, Frances decided to strike a conversation. "Hey… Housekeeper."

The brunette turned her head slightly to look up at Frances. "Yes, Marchioness?"

"I hardly expected you to have a handgun strapped to one of your thighs. And least expected that you would be able to aim and shoot." With a firmer voice, Frances continued, "You were the one, correct? You took out that bear when I was only about to do so. Frankly, I panicked once I saw that my daughter was in danger."

Amelia only smiled softly and went to tease her ex-foster mother. "Ah, the Marchioness must be getting old?"

A tick mark appeared on Frances' forehead and she cleared her throat. She lets the unseemly behavior pass for a while, "But as a servant, is it not also your duty to ensure that your Master gets all the glory? If so, why did you let me win on purpose?"

' _Ah, well, it was never in my intention for I simply wanted them safe! Such competition this was..._ ' Amelia thought, the smile slowly fading from her features as she pondered over her answer. She looked at the path ahead, sighing. "Something as childish as a competition was not in my mind. I could not be bothered by who would win or not. It is only my duty and my top priority, which was why I was hired for: that is, to protect the Young Master; and this same rule applies to those he hold dear." She shrugs, "Perhaps you could say that he and his betrothed have a place in my heart, because for me, they are very _special_."

Frances looked down at her with an eyebrow raised, especially at the way the young noble couple was regarded for, " _Special_?"

However, it was against Amelia to explain. "And as for the Marchioness, I do hope that you will become and _be_ the role model for the Young Master. The head of this household whom I serve is but a mere 'child', so it is important for him to have an 'adult' to guide him by his side in order for him to never astray." She looked up at Frances again, smiling while she hoped the woman would not notice the sadness filling her eyes.

' _Because I wouldn't want Ciel to end up as I did… or perhaps, he has gotten it worse. At least, back then, there was no demon starving enough to be interested in my soul._ ' Amelia thought, thinking of the night from five years ago, and the days that came before and after it, which led her to where she is now.

Frances hummed in a mix of agreement and amusement then decided to change the topic. "As I said, your face is more decent than that of the butler's, despite it being odd how you remind me of my daughter, Dorothea."

"Pardon? Daughter? Is it not Lady Elizabeth only?"

"Dorothea was the eldest among my children, however, due to series of... unfortunate events, we lost her when her life ended in a carriage accident from five years ago." Frances narrows her eyes, "Thea has a personal maid that annoyingly resembles her, who, also went missing that same day." The noblewoman paused, watching Amelia's reaction.

"I had a hunch that the maid had something to do with my daughter's death. But upon investigating, the handwriting of Thea's farewell letter was definitely hers, well-written and had ample time to think through its content. A mere servant would not be able to write as eloquently as her; she was tutored by the best, and only the best was to be expected from Thea."

Amelia pinched the inside of her palm, to keep her mouth shut and exposing herself.

"Frankly, after some time I came to a realization that Thea did not die."

Amelia swallows, "How so, Marchioness? Surely you've seen her... corpse, that was, I presume, buried before you."

Frances smirks, "Yes, I have. There was one, significant detail about my child's body that made me certain she was the maid, and Thea is hopefully, still alive." The brunette's brows scrunched in confusion, ' _Oh no, did Olivia had a birthmark somewhere? Damn, I should have known..._ '

The gray-haired woman looks ahead, a faraway look in her usually strong eyes. "I'll tell you one last thing about her: even though she was not of my own blood and flesh, I did love her as my own. That was the one thing I have always wanted to tell her but I could not bring myself to. I had a hard time conveying it through my actions; mostly misunderstood."

Amelia forced a smirk, trying not to falter in her step, "And so, is Lady Dorothea quite a challenge for the Marchioness?" Frances' right eye twitched at her statement, again, putting off the behavior shown to her. "Before we leave, I would like to have a word with you Mia. Alone."

The brunette bowed her throbbing head, feeling nervous again with the unspoken reason behind the Midford's request. The housekeeper was confused, and would also want to know whether she was more mad at herself or at her foster mother after hearing the last statement uttered by the latter.

Soon enough, the other three caught up to them and they all stopped by the front doors. Sebastian assists the nobles in getting off their horses. He speaks as he turned the knob to open the door. "Since we have obtained so many wonderful catch from today's hunting session, I shall show all of you what I am capable of doing with all these."

"Welcome back!" the three stooges chorused, standing by the doorway from the inside with Tanaka's _ho-ho-ho_ in the background. They all looked like they've come from war; dirt, injuries and wounds on every part of their body, especially Bardroy.

"What happened? Why does everyone look like this?!" Ciel exclaimed in disbelief.

Finnian proudly raised a plate filled with something that would nearly look like a cake, if only it were baked by the butler. "This was made by all of us!" then he motioned his hand towards the place. "Take a look, we even used roses for the decoration."

"I made a _donburi_ filled with the Young Master's favorite food!"

"A-And the table setting, it was d-done by me, yes it was!"

Ciel along with the two other slightly normal characters, namely Sebastian and Amelia, looked at them with horror and vexation. They panicked internally, already sensing the growing dark aura from Frances Midford. Amelia was about to say something to appease their guest but the woman crossed her arms, " _Hmph_ , they are actually a step quicker than me. I came here especially today for the sake of saying this…"

She pats Ciel's head with a soft smile, but it wasn't too obvious that it was supposed to be in that manner since her eyes were really strong-looking, "It might be late but, happy 13th birthday Ciel! Merry Christmas!"

The main trio went silent, more surprised than relieved; while the loud trio rejoiced, Elizabeth joining in on them. Frances clears her throat, "And also, everyone, I will be counting on _all_ of you to take care of my daughter and her husband, now and in the future."

The servants bowed, and Ciel was still at a loss for words. But then, a small smile made its way to his lips, him being able to look so childlike after having been forcing himself to be viewed as an adult. His eyes meet Frances' and he ends up thanking her, and everyone else.

* * *

Truthfully, Amelia assumed correctly when a sudden party took place.

Luckily for her, time flies fast, the sun began to set and it was soon time for the Midfords to go home. The stooges took care of the mess while Ciel and Sebastian were to escort the ladies to their carriage. Then again, Frances insisted that Amelia should come along as well.

"It shows that Lady Elizabeth had enjoyed this day, what, with how much she is smiling in her sleep." The housekeeper muttered, looking at her foster sister from outside the carriage. "Perhaps, even dreaming about it." Frances looks over at the brunette briefly, lest she is caught in the act by the two male companions. "I believe you are forgetting something, Mia."

The woman glanced at the two men, who were both on guard for what she had to say. "If the two of you would allow, I'd like to speak with Mia _privately_."

"So you've come to take a liking to my servant, Aunt Frances?" Ciel tried to get a response from the noblewoman regarding the reason for her sudden request. ' _And to think that Mia agreed to it without our knowledge!_ ' he yells in his head.

"Unfortunately, that would not be the case. I suppose there is an unfinished business between us that we have to settle." She explained, and the brunette gulps. ' _Well, I am a servant. I cannot just say no to a noble's request, now, can I?_ ' the lady thinks, probably able to read the look on Ciel's face. The young lad sighs after a while. "Alright, I shan't keep you for long. Until the next time we meet, Marchioness."

"Please do have a safe trip and may pleasant dreams fill your sleep." Sebastian bids with a slight bow and smile. Ciel was first to leave, and his butler and the hired coachman was forced to follow soon after, leaving Amelia completely alone with Frances.

Both were silent, continuously watching the male trio until they re-entered the manor. After a while, Amelia clears her throat, "What is it Marchioness that you—?!"

Frances suddenly pulled Amelia to her, wrapping her arms around the younger female. She felt the housekeeper stiffen in the hug, "M-Marchioness?" The middle-aged woman drew back slightly and glared at her. "Don't ' _Marchioness_ ' me; do you really think that I would not notice, _Thea_?"

"Wh-what?"

Frances brings out something from her dress pockets, and wears a necklace around her daughter's neck. Amelia gasps, feeling for the pendant, and she realized that it was her own necklace, the key to her music box. Unable to do or say anything, Amelia can only look at the woman with widened eyes, stuttering her words out. "H-How did you—?"

"Your uniform reaches and covers your neck, and if you never had pulled it open, perhaps your necklace would not have gotten loose and not have fallen to the ground." Frances pauses, the necklace not able to lock itself so instead, she gets one of the brunette's hands and places it there. She closes the lady's hand into a fist around the precious jewelry then continues. "Your gut feelings are still, always on point." 

Amelia knew what she meant by that; her rapidly beating heart when she feels something bad would happen, at times, it would give her a hard time breathing so she would loosen anything that's around her neck. 

"I accidentally stepped on it when I went into position to shoot that bear. However, your movements were a blur, and your speed surprised me. Perhaps that slovenly butler actually trained you well?"  

Amelia was too distracted with the fact that Frances found her out, to not pay attention to the previous comment.

"W-Why are you so certain that I am your daughter? That... that necklace could have had others made along with it. It could all be just a big coincidence, My Lady." Amelia still tried to wrong Frances further, who in turn, doesn't even bat an eyelash at the poor attempt. "That necklace was _the only one_ of its kind; Rachel made sure of that. She made it so that your true initials were engraved on it, that is why I knew you'd treasure it so much."

Frances placed a soothing hand on the younger lady's shoulder, "You don't know how much we grieved when we thought—!"

Amelia pushes Frances' hand away and steps back, reaching for her ears to cover them, shaking her head as she did. "What do you want? For me to go back? So I can live a lie again? No! I will hear no more of your grievances, M-Mo... Marchioness!" Tears began to well in her eyes, and she felt a lump in her throat.

"Can you not see... that I am fine as I am? I... do not need you anymore." The brunette's voice cracked as she retorted, her hands sliding down to her sides, feeling some weight off her shoulders.

Amelia's tears clouded her own vision, and was not able to notice Frances' flinch at her words. Being the elder and slightly more mature one, the Midford can only sigh and cast her own eyes downward. "I... I see... of course."

She brushes a loose strand of grayish hair back behind her ear, clearing her throat. "For the sake of everyone else, then, I shall keep and bring this secret even to my grave. I already muse that Ciel is aware of this; but does Elizabeth know?"

"She _must not_ know." The housekeeper murmurs, wiping her tears away harshly, still looking away.

"Then, for one last time, I'd like you to listen." Frances holds the young lady's clenched fist which held the necklace inside. "Your Father... Henry, he went to your funeral in robes colored with the darkest of blacks; even the circles around his eyes were more weary than our own. And... a few years later, died in... an utterly terrible way." 

Amelia bites the inside of her cheek and pinches her wrist. Frances continues, "If only you were wed sooner, we could have had you to meet him. Yet, he now rests without even knowing that you are still, indeed, alive and well." 

The housekeeper's forest green eyes finally locks gazes with Frances, "Would that be all? You still have a long way to go."

"No; there is something else, before I leave and act as if this never happened." Frances slowly hugs Amelia, caressing the latter's hair softly, as a lone tear escapes and rolls down her cheek. "I am deeply sorry for... for all the pain I have put you through. For you, not feeling the love that I tried to give you; for being very unlike your Mother."

The woman's voice got down into a whisper, "Could you... forgive me for that?"  

Amelia remained silent and this time, chose not to move, her tears just flowing. After a while, Frances lets go of her, gets a handkerchief and wipes the tears away. At least, Amelia didn't slap her hand away and let the Midford do as she pleases.

"Merry Christmas, our dearest Thea."

Amelia scoffs at the fake name, "You're right. You are  _not_ like my Mother. Because if you were, you'd know which name to call me."

Frances hands her the handkerchief, before wordlessly getting on the carriage. Amelia closes the door and beckons for the coachman. Soon, they were gone, the carriage disappearing into the tree-surrounded path ahead. 

Amelia feels her knees buckle and she falls to the ground in waves of tears, her hand to her chest while clutching onto the necklace. Meanwhile, the master and butler both were watching from inside of the manor. 

After the scene, Ciel turns and heads for the staircase. "Meet me in my room when you two are done."

"Pardon?"

"Aunt Frances found out, just tell me how she did. And _she_ needs a little comforting, which is something that I cannot give." Ciel muttered, pausing in his tracks. "Perhaps someone who has the idea of... romantic emotions, could understand and know what to do?" The young earl mocks the demon, the fact of "soul-mates" in his mind.

Sebastian only smirked, "Ah, but I am not the most comforting being at all, however if you say it so, then I shall be. Then, could that be your change of heart, Young Master? Is it the Christmas spirit getting to you?"

Ciel scowled and cursed the already-cursed being in his mind and vowed to take revenge. Sebastian's eyes followed his every move and waited until he was out of sight. With a sigh, Sebastian went to the door. He was about to open it, however Amelia was a second ahead, and she bumps into him. 

As she looks up at the butler, Sebastian notes the lady's puffy eyes, red at the edges. His face was unreadable, and they stared at each other in silence, probably waiting for the other to speak. Amelia breaks the growing quiet with a shaky, heavy sigh. "This will be... the first and last time that I shall ever lean on to you for my personal matters." Without waiting for the man's response, whether it would be of mockery or what else, the brunette buries her face into the demon's chest and cries again. Her voice was already hoarse as she spoke, and a whispered scream escaped through her trembling lips. 

Sebastian was lost with what he had to do, but something different took over his demonic nature and senses. Weirdly, for him, he somehow felt a little pain at seeing the human in that state; something that contrasts his usual sadistic side. ' _Although... I will not deny that her tears do satisfy and entertain me; and I would love to torment her so. But now... this is not..._ ' he talks to himself in his thoughts, and he remembers that his young master had ordered him to bring "comfort" to this woman.

The demon lifts a gloved hand, and he hesitates, it hovering over the small of her back. With resolution, he proceeds to caressing Amelia's hair slowly, soothingly. He lets it wander further downward, to rub small circles with his thumb on her back. He waited for her to come down from the high of her emotions, patiently; involuntarily, he begins to hum a soft, familiar tune. One he has gotten himself acquainted with through his nightly visits to her room, or even when he was simply doing rounds about the mansion.

The music box's melody seemed to calm her down, along with his ministrations, so he continued. And he waited.

About two or a few more minutes later, Amelia's despaired crying dies down into sniffing, and she steps back from the not-so embrace the demon had her in. With the handkerchief from Frances, she wipes the tears. "...thanks," 

"Ah, I simply did what I had to do." Sebastian began, then reached for her clenched fist. He gets the necklace and fiddles with it, and soon, the precious jewelry was back to how it was before. Sebastian puts it on her, crouching down slightly, so his voice would be near by her ear. "I might be a soulless being, however,"

Sebastian drew back and smiled; whether it was to confuse her or it was genuine was up for debate. Amelia decides to shrug off whatever he was trying to say, or what idea that statement held; so she tucks the necklace back inside her uniform. She took a breath, "Of course, Ciel ordered you to stay. I apologize for you, having to stomach through my vulnerability."

"No worries,"

"Oh I know, you enjoy these sorts of things." she spat at him, and somehow, Sebastian felt a little crack in him, offended by how she presumed him to be as. ' _Again... why must I have these feelings?_ ' He is quiet, while that question lingers in his mind, and the housekeeper proceeds with her statement. "The Marchioness found out, because of this necklace. She is also aware that Ciel was hiding the truth. And fortunately, she vowed to shut her mouth for the sake of everyone. Now that, is the one thing I appreciated for this whole time."

The butler nods curtly, "Very well, I shall tell the Young Master about it. Now, shall I bid you good night?" he spins on his heels and walks ahead, but pauses on the first step of the staircase. Sebastian snaps his fingers, then looks back at Amelia, "Oh goodness, I nearly forgot. For your ruining of my sacred uniform, what, with all that snot and tears; doing the laundry is your top-priority duty for tomorrow. I shall handle the accounting. Understood?"

Amelia shrugs, rolling her tired eyes, "' _Sacred_ ' is a bit too much for somebody like you. But then, if you say so, then I must. Since you're at it, would you be so kind to pass on my message to the Young Master?"

A small, mischievous grin makes it to her face; the action made her look even more broken than she already was; and it was halfway pitiful and strikingly beautiful. ' _Perhaps, in my eyes, she is..._ '

"To finally get this nasty feeling off my chest, I would like to do some Christmas shopping. Oh, tell him I said, 'please?',"

* * *

Sebastian informed the Phantomhive earl of what transpired, and what was requested by the housekeeper.

"Christmas shopping? Really that woman…" Ciel grumbled, a portion of his blanket crumpling in his touch. "Then, shall I take that for a 'no'?" Sebastian speaks of it as a matter-of-fact; about to bow his head so he can leave the child and have him sleep.

However, an interesting idea came to that child's mind. Ciel holds back a smirk, "You know what, I allow her to go about her business." The demon looks at him questioningly, "How rare for you; and utterly kind of you. Very well, I shall tell her of your concern, regarding her well-being." The end of his statement was more to tease the earl than to actually praise him.

"Oh, yes. _Do_ tell her indeed. However, it is on one condition: that you would have to accompany her through its duration."

The butler's smug face was swept away and replaced with him, having narrowed his eyes at Ciel. "I do not see any reason for such, Young Master."

The young earl clucked his tongue and shoots him a glare, "You dare go against an _order_ , Sebastian?" Ciel raised an eyebrow and they stared, more like glared, at each other. The butler, now unable to refuse, could only bow his head dejectedly, "Understood. We shall leave for London right after you have had your breakfast."

Ciel nods triumphantly before yawning. His butler proceeds to tuck him in bed, "Now that it's settled, it's about time for you to retire My Lord." Sebastian murmurs, then he blows out the candles before leaving his master's room.

Once more, was he confined to his own thoughts, just walking about the dark, quiet mansion, until he decided to read a few books from the library since it would seem that an attack would not happen that night. He remained awake through the wee hours of the night, yet was unable to finish a single book, finding himself rather distracted.

' _How do I get rid of this? Why must I endure this? And... just what is happening to me? This has to stop. That woman is... Amelia is..._ '

Sebastian shakes his head, and sighs sharply. He looks out the window, noticing that the sun was about to rise. He gets a quill and a piece of paper from one of his journals, writes down what the adolescent earl had told him, and silently makes his way in front of Amelia's room's door. The butler crouches, then he slides the note through a small gap.

"For sure, the Young Master has something planned. Whatever it is, it will not only waste a lot of time but also leave the mansion in pieces. _Really_ , his games nowadays are nothing short of... bothersome."


	36. Shopping Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this FanFiction). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

"Are you sure that _you_ , out of all the people here, can last a few hours without _him_?" Amelia asked, rather annoyed, while pointing a thumb towards the demon, early in the morning in the young earl's room.

"You don't have to yell at me…" Ciel complained as a yawn followed soon after he said this. Sebastian finished tying Ciel's eye-patch around his head and stayed silent.

"Look, I've been to London from this mansion to there a bunch of times before, that it's practically engraved into my brain already. Besides, _I_ don't need Sebastian with me there. After all, I am just a servant too."

"Says the one who also, tends to get in trouble."

"I _do not_. I know how to protect myself. He _needs_ to stay here, Ciel, aside from your sake it's also for the sake of your mansion. Leaving you with the other three is going to be a _bad_ decision."

The cousins glared at each other, ocean blue against the elder female's forest green ones. Ciel, like a brat that he is, crossed his arms and put a leg over his other and raised his chin up a bit.

" _I'm_ your master now. Yes, I do still acknowledge you as my cousin _but_ you ought to know your place. So you don't _dare_ disobey an order."

"Oh, come _on_!" Amelia, frustrated, turned to Sebastian and added, "Are you not going to go against this? I'm certain that something as human as 'needless shopping' is way out of your league!"

"As much as I agree with your sentiments, I was however, ordered already to accompany you, and I cannot do anything about it."

Silence ensued and Sebastian waited for about three seconds when he decided to move and clasps his hands together with that fake smile. "Alright, I suggest that you two young ones end this. Time is being wasted over your useless argument."

Amelia groaned and rolled her eyes. "He used the 'I'm-your-master' line on us—on me—it's so unfair."

"Why are you so _against_ with Sebastian accompanying you to London?"

Ciel's question made her think and pause for a moment, and a pair of wine red eyes stared at her while they waited. The housekeeper bites her lower lip, not looking at any of them, "I'm _not_ … really against his company. It's just— _ugh_ , fine, you win. I don't wish to spoil any of my plans."

The Phantomhive earl smirked as he made his way outside his room while the brunette only sighed in terrible defeat.

Ciel looks back at her once, "After I finish breakfast, take your time shopping—I do not mind."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes whilst Amelia's eyebrow twitched. "Are you… _serious_? Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"Of course. After all, I want you to cheer up after yesterday's incident."

At that, the lady shoots a glare at Sebastian, mouthing the question, " _Did you tell him that little detail?_ "But the butler simply shrugged and ignored her. "I shall take it from here, Mia. I suppose you have a few things you could prepare for your trip to London."

Going back to her room, Amelia pulled out from her drawer the drawstring bag where she stored a third of Bardroy's money. "Well, I'm not going to be that mean to him. I was planning to give him back what was going to be left of it after I bought those gifts."

Removing her apron as well, she grabbed her coat after tying the said bag around her hips. She looked herself in the mirror, unbuttoned the top part of her uniform and remembered the things Frances told her. Most especially the part where the Midford woman noted on her rather improved performance.

' _...However, your movements were a blur, and your speed surprised me. Perhaps that slovenly butler actually trained you well?_ '

Amelia pondered on it for a moment, not sure if she should believe in it or not. "No more of yesterday, Mia. Although, how could she have said that, for my left shoulder still hurt, even if it doesn't now; perhaps my reflexes just heightened due to adrenaline. It is my responsibility to protect them."

She nodded at herself before sighing contentedly at her reflection. "That's right, and perhaps, I am simply overexerting energy these days." The brunette spun on her heel then went out towards the dining area, where Ciel and Sebastian were waiting. "Did I take too long or did you just not eat much again?" The housekeeper asks soon as she arrived.

"Your point is?"

"Ah, nevermind. Are you really sure you want him to go with me?" She nods towards Sebastian while still looking at the young lord.

"Why do you question my decisions? Do not act as if you're going to shop _only_ for your ' _feminine things_.'"

"Oh, what if I do?"

"Then you do. I believe Sebastian gives no such care for such trivial matters." Ciel smirks, thinking, ' _Besides, he might probably be used to seeing_ those _kinds of things._ ' Sebastian must have the ability to read minds, as he flashed a sly smirk towards his master's way.

"Are you not being too harsh on Sebastian? Making him go with me for _Christmas_ shopping? For _gifts_?"

"I believe he doesn't fully understand the concept of 'Christmas spirit', and seeing as how _you_ have it, it's best that you show him what humans usually do during said season."

"But _you're_ the child."

"A child that is not like _any_ child… and you know what I mean." The child even murmurs, "Santa does not exist," remembering his past when he was still younger, and he caught Tanaka placing presents in their stockings. Sebastian heard him, but Amelia only sighs. " _Touché_ kid… well, I still think you're going to regret making this choice," she paused then turned to the butler whose annoyance was radiating off him—yet both humans decided to ignore it—and continued, "So I guess it's time to go?"

" _Finally_. And here I thought the whole ordeal was over even before the Master's meal. I did not think you two would waste a lot of time bickering over this again." The demon stated, closing his pocket-watch and stands next to the brunette. "Well then, Young Master. We shall return as soon as we can. If any harm befalls you, please do not hesitate to call for my name."

Ciel just shooes them away, and the pair began walking side by side to the carriage waiting outside. It was silent and quick, much to Amelia's delight. Sebastian opened the door for her and she raised a brow. "Do I really have to sit in there?"

Sebastian sighs, totally tired of all the unnecessary comments. "Unless you want to drive the carriage beside me, then it is a yes, _my lady._ " Amelia frowned, presuming his words to be of sarcasm. "Don't mock me with that 'my lady' thing."

She stepped in the carriage and as soon as Sebastian got on, the carriage drove away. Meanwhile, Ciel was already settling himself in his study. He had a huge smirk plastered on his face as he decides to call for the blond chef.

Looking gloomy and nervous, Bardroy spoke in a low voice. "Wh-what did you call me for, Young Master?"

"You were the one that had a bet with Mia, is it true?"

A nod was Bardroy's answer. He gulps, feeling sweat trickling down his nape.

"You want a little payback, am I correct?"

Bardroy instantly perked up with sparkling eyes, probably with a little tears of joy that he was not being fired yet; and most especially, he is being given the chance to get back on Amelia.

"Here's what you need to do; although getting Finnian and Mey-rin to help you out will make things better or hopefully, faster."

"Pardon me for askin', but why'd 'ya suddenly be decidin' on helping me out Young Master?"

"Ah, it's not really for your sake. I also have a goal of my own and it involves the other person not around here." Ciel blatantly crushed the chef's assumptions and with a smirk, "So, will you do it?"

Bardroy saluted with his voice proud and eyes filled with determination, "Yes, my Lord!"

Ciel began instructing him for what he needed to retrieve and what exactly he and the other stooges needed to do. Bardroy had no questions whatsoever and just instantly went along with the plan, even though he could not understand why the trap was meant to have that sort of nature.

Upon leaving the earl's study, the chef had a wide grin as he explains to the other two, "Mey-rin, get the box of decorations, 'cos we're decoratin' the whole place!"

"E-Eh? But M-Mister Sebastian already set up this year's...?" Mey-rin tries, whilst Finnian was innocently cheering in the background. Bardroy raises a brow, "Whad'dya mean, he already did? The Young Master clearly stated that we should add more! That guy's too stone cold to even understand the meaning of the Holidays."

Mey-rin gasps, "The Young Master said that?"

"He said it's an order. So what're we waitin' for?"

The maid joins the gardener in cheering, while Bardroy's grin had a certain glint in it.

Moments later, they were off decorating to their hearts' content that it would seem too chaotic rather than joyous or festive.

But then the maid felt something was off, and she played with the hem of her uniform as she watched Bardroy put the last piece of mistletoe on the ceiling. "B-Bard, I think that's a bit too much, yes it is!"

Even the innocent gardener knew that the blond chef had other plans than just to decorate, "Y-Yeah! Are you hiding something from us?"

Bardroy sighs but was too pleased with his work, "Alright, listen you rabble. The Young Master said..." he stepped down from the ladder and the three huddled together. Mey-rin was soon blushing and Finnian looked confused. "How is all this going to...?"

" _Aye_ , don'cha dare question the person who saved you. In fact, we don' gotta worry. Young Master's backin' us up; and so long as we know where these things are, we won't get into nasty trouble!"

To finally boost their morale, the chef winks, "A little Christmas joke wouldn't be too bad as a payback." Bardroy flashed them a wide grin with his two thumbs up yet the other two only sighed and sweat-dropped.

* * *

The carriage came to a stop, once the pair had arrived in London. Amelia steps out and smiles softly, standing on the side of a busy cobblestone street that was filled with strangers and various stores fit for Christmas shopping.

Until her eyes met with Sebastian's did her smile turn into an instant frown. Sebastian gave her a look that told her, " _What now, do I look_ indecent _?_ "

The brunette sighed, her breath forming miniature steam in the air as she ran her hand through her hair. "Ah, don't mind me, it's just… well, when you buy gifts for people during Christmas it's supposed to be a secret."

Sebastian sighs as well and began walking by her side. "I am aware of that. Just because I am 'different', does not mean I don't know what you humans do during this time of the year."

"Alright, my mistake. I should have known better. But have you done this before then?"

The butler stared ahead in silence.

"Plus, I shall admit, it will be really difficult to surprise the likes of you. Which is why, I explicitly wanted to go alone." Amelia mutters, checking out some items in a random stall. Sebastian raises a brow, standing behind her, "Oh? So you're getting me something as well? You know I am not so materialistic."

She places the object down and sighs, scratching her cheek. "I know that alright? Why can you not just think of it as some kind of token of appreciation? Or a reward for being 'good' throughout the year?"

The butler shrugs, "How is that different from the reason behind a birthday present?"

Amelia's gasp made him look down on her, and he saw the brunette's eyes spark in curiosity, "...you have a birthday?" Her voice also sounded hopeful, and it nearly took him aback. "No, I... do not."

The housekeeper pouted and Sebastian tried not to look at her lips. "That seems too sad. Well, I have a spare birthday because of my other _er_ , identity. Want one?" She chuckles then places both hands on the demon's shoulders and shakes him when he didn't respond. "Come on, loosen up even for a few hours. I'll do my best on finding you something that I hope you'd at least enjoy. If you throw it away, I swear, you're just proving to me how much of a douchebag you can be."

Amelia smirks then turns to leave. Sebastian was left standing there and a ghost of either a smirk or a smile graces his lips, thinking, ' _As long as it is from her, I would cherish it undoubtedly for an indefinite time._ '

The brunette was waiting for him outside another building and a rather large looking store, "Took you long enough. You know, if you'd like, you can go ahead and buy gifts for the others too." Her suggestion fell on deaf ears and he simply nods.

As they entered, the butler asks, "So, have you thought of what to give them?" Sebastian watches Amelia scan the store, while patting the money bag tied around her hips every once in a while. She smiles sheepishly, "That's... the problem. Perhaps I'm seeing a lot that I cannot decide that easily."

Soon, it has been more than fifteen minutes since they have arrived and going behind schedule was unacceptable for the butler. "Ah, so it seems even _you_ are not so good at this gift-giving thing."

"The last time I did this was two years ago. And this time I have the chance, the freedom, where I can afford to buy a few stuff." Amelia murmured with her legs and feet having more energy than her voice. "This is the difficult part of Christmas shopping: what to buy."

"Why not grab the next thing that catches your eye so we can head ho—?" Sebastian was shushed by the lady's index that now rested on his lips. "No can do, Sebastian. I've decided to buy them presents that they—!"

The lady gasps, snapping her fingers, and in that instance, as if a magical lightbulb appeared on top of her head. She taps on her chin and smiles brightly at the demon, "Presents that they want, but could be quite useful as well." Amelia suddenly drags the demon behind her with minimal effort—which was very unusual—and ends up back on the streets, before entering a bookstore. "Alright, first would be Mey-rin's."

Amelia began searching for a book that she was sure Mey-rin would like. "I thought you would get that maid some pair of glasses," the butler murmurs as the brunette scans the shelves. "I doubt she would wear it; also, I doubt a prescription for eyes so farsighted as hers would even exist."

"Why a book then, if you know she will have a hard time reading it?"

"She says she wants to practice her reading, so you and I won't have to clean up after her every mistake. Mey-rin likes you, did you know about it?" The housekeeper looks up at him to see his reaction, but was quite disappointed to see nothing but indifference.

Sebastian sighs, "No, I do not. Although, _that_ will not change a thing." Amelia rolls her eyes, "Ah, the stone-hearted butler. Do you not see when her face flushes or not hear her heart skip with just your presence? Anyway, at least don't tell her that I told you." She winks, before skipping over to a genre she was looking for.

"Horror?" The butler asks, and Amelia chuckles. "She likes these sorts of things. Perhaps that is why she harbors such feelings for you?"

Suddenly, a random woman bumps against her, causing the brunette to lose her balance. Sebastian grabs her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her to him. The two stare at each other for a while, then moments later, Sebastian smirks. "Well, I do hear _your_ heart beating rather rapidly at the moment. Tell me, do _you_ 'like' me, Amelia? I would love to know."

The housekeeper pushes herself away from him, trying hard not to blush. "Remove that smirk off your face before I claw it out myself." She exhales sharply, and straightens her skirt. Clearing her throat, she continues, "I thought it would be obvious that adrenaline caused my heart to beat this fast; and not something so silly as ' _liking_ ' you."

She walks ahead, following the path the stranger took and saw a few women that were around her age, clustered together at the end of that aisle. Amelia notices that some of the girls were giggling, others were even blushing. When she reached them, she found herself unable to squeeze through the group and Sebastian offers, "Would you like me to procure you a copy of that?"

"Oh, please do. Thank you," she hands him her money bag then watches him head for the shopkeeper before she focused again on trying to see what was causing the commotion. The lady tried as she could, to be polite around her fellow ladies, and finally, she was able to reach and grab the book off the rack. The title read, "Beastly Obsession", with the cover showing a fair maiden, with her shadow forming the silhouette of a horned-beast as though it were creeping up behind her.

' _...since when did women even find such a book appealing?_ ' Amelia thinks to herself before flipping through the pages to find the summary. Halfway through it, she gulps and nearly drops it, realizing she made the worst decision of letting her companion get her a copy of it.

' _Good heavens... "_ demon in love _", "_ sinful nights _", "_ elope _"... these words do not seem to fit together at all!_ '

She did not even try to at least read through a chapter and instead, gently placed the book back to where it once stood. "I'm sure there are other... more suitable choices than this one. I better stop Sebas _—_?" Suddenly, one of the girls there turned to her with a Cheshire grin, holding her own copy of the book tightly to her chest.

"What, you must be silly to think that. Is it not fantastic?" The random woman beamed at Amelia, who in return only smiled sheepishly. "Pardon...?"

"Oh, do forgive me for my late introduction. I am Sophia! My best friend, Beatrize, dragged me here, telling me to buy this book, ever since she discovered that I was being courted."

' _Ah... Sebastian would indeed haunt me for this. Mia, you idiot!_ '

Amelia was already itching to get away from her but could not, for it would seem rude. The sudden closure between her and Sophia shocked her when the latter leaned in to whisper, "Beatrize says, this book is _the_ perfect guide to do _it_ with your lover in the _most_ amazing and pleasurable ways."

The brunette feels a trickle of sweat rolling down the side of her face, feeling disgusted that the woman sounded as though she were purring into Amelia's ear. She stepped back and ran a hand through her hair and breathed out slightly, "Uhm, you know, _Sophia_ , I actually—!"

"And my sweetheart—he's Nate Clifford, just so you know, is the most _handsome_ man I've met in my entire life—hazel eyes and blond hair… nothing but a proper gentleman and I'm positive that I'll be able to convince him to make love to me before we get wed…"

Amelia had slapped Sophia mentally for about five times already, tuning her out when the stranger started blabbering about her life. Sophia could not see that Amelia is not even interested in hearing her story. ' _What is taking Sebastian so long? Good God please help me stop myself from shooting this woman…_ '

"Hey, who's yours?" Sophia nudged Amelia's shoulder to catch her attention again.

"Yes? My what?"

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Goodness, your attention span is surprisingly short," she continued before Amelia lost it, "I asked who your lover is. Who's the man courting you?"

The brunette could only blink twice while thinking of an answer, before Sophia interrupted her again. "You _are_ being courted, right? Unless you might be some kind of pervert to read these things without someone to do it with…" her sudden statement caught at least three other more ladies' attentions and they began whispering to themselves.

"Oh, well, that is... it is not what you think it is. Actually, it's for a friend—?"

"Mia, the shopkeeper found one for you. Here," Sebastian says, standing by her side then, placing a small paperbag on said brunette's hands. He also gave her back the money bag, slightly bending to tie it once more around her hips. Amelia could not decide if she was supposed to be grateful or to be feeling like utter shit.

"Ah-ha, this must be my lucky day… come on, Sebastian. Let's hurry up and leave this instant." Stealthily stepping away from the group of ladies, Amelia once again pulled on Sebastian's arm but Sophia was not letting her go just yet. "Oh my, is that him?"

"Him?" Sebastian looks pointedly at Amelia with a raised brow. She clicked her tongue and winced, cursing under her breath, especially when Sophia said, "Is he your _lover_?"

When the both of them had turned around slightly, Sophia's eyes were sparkling in delight and her smile was more directed towards the demon butler rather than Amelia herself. "Well," the housekeeper paused, and then smirked. ' _Ciel_ did _want me to cheer up, might as well tease Sebastian for a bit,_ '

"Yes, his name is Sebastian." She smiled at Sophia then looked at Sebastian lovingly, making the demon simply look down at her with an empty look on his face. Sophia steps closer to them, "What a nice name he has—Sebastian, it is such a pleasure to meet you! Mia must be so happy to have a handsome sweetheart for herself."

' _Oh, this makes me sick! It better be worth it though. Must he remain like a statue?_ '

"My name is Sophia Smith." The lady grinned, tucking her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear as she batted her lashes. Beatrize, Sophia's best friend, walked up to them as well. "I have not seen such folks in London; say, did you lovebirds just moved in?" Beatrize asked, and Amelia swore she can see stars in the woman's eyes while she looked up at Sebastian. ' _They have been nothing but annoying. But let me stretch it to see how far they can go,_ '

Since she was busy with her thoughts, Sebastian replied in her stead, "No, we are only in London for the day to buy some Christmas presents,"

"Well, what do you know I'm here for that as well!" Beatrize giggled with slightly pinkish cheeks. "Perhaps you can help Mia decide on things to buy. We have been walking around aimlessly, and all she has gotten was that book." The butler was already playing along, and the lady best-friends chuckled.

"Is that so, Mister Sebastian? I'm sure it will be _quite_ the experience for the both of you."

"Please, just 'Sebastian' will do."

"If it's not so bothersome, would you mind if we all go shopping together?"

The brunette who has gone silent could not help but roll her eyes and fight off a scoff when Beatrize took another step closer beside the demon.

' _Truly fantastic. She has a ring on her finger and yet she is flirting with a stranger. Did I not make it a point that Sebastian is my_ lover _? She is worse than Grell! Hold on... why am I thinking of the situation this way?!_ Lover _?! What nonsense am I spouting now? A demon cannot love, Amelia, wake up. Nor are you going to fall for somebody like him... right?_ '

Sebastian noticed her sudden change of aura and could almost hear her internal screams as he tried not to chuckle evilly. Amelia's mind was put to rest when Sebastian's arm wrapped around her waist and closed the space between their bodies. He then kissed the top of the brunette's head and spoke, "I have to decline your offer miss, for I've already decided to spend the rest of the day with my _wife_."

Amelia saw the ladies' faces become quite sour, and still, the butler continued, "I hope you do not take it so hardly. It's just that, we have not been able to spend time together lately, with all the _children_ around us." Sebastian chuckled, more because of his companion's wide eyes because of the things he said.

Both ladies shut up, and Amelia took this as a chance to finally end the conversation.

"Oh _love_ ," Amelia spoke through gritted teeth and a forced smile as she pressed on Sebastian's chest rather harshly, "You need not tell them _that_ , it's quite embarrassing."

"V-Very well… you two must be on your way now," Beatrize could not stand it and turned around with a feeling of rejection before returning to the swarm of ladies still huddled by the book.

The so-called husband and wife went out immediately after that and Amelia finds herself untangling her body from the demon again. "Next time you challenge me to one of your little games, always make sure that _you_ will have the upper hand."

"Whatever,"

"Then I suppose, this is my win?"

" _Whatever_." The scowl slowly faded into a smirk after a while of silent walking. "But the way their faces turned at the mention of 'wife' and 'children' was nothing short of amusing. Too bad I could not think of that—Ciel, and the three stooges—it was brilliant,"

"Ah, but what were you thinking of then? Could you have fantasized about being my wife? Or how about bearing children?"

Amelia scoffs, "Please, I would much rather not. It is refreshing to be free, and I am still young to ever tie the knot with a man of my age." Then, she realized, "Oh wait, how old are you again?"

"Much older than you think; even more than all your and the Young Master's grandparents' ages combined."

Amelia's brows rise, "Well, I'm surprised. I mean, I knew you were old, but not _ancient_. So... if you've been around for that long, I wonder if you've paid attention to any of the women that has ever approached you."

"It depends whether they would make for a good snack."

The housekeeper sighs, but ends up chuckling. "Well, someone like you cannot feel love, nor have the ability to do so. They must have thought you were also interested in them, to have their hand in marriage. How pitiful; I'm pleased that I know what you are, and that I will never let myself end up in your stomach." she enters another store, now thinking of Finnian.

Sebastian felt something inside him clench at her words, in what would be pain in his chest if he had a heart. ' _Must I tell her?_ ' he asks himself, remembering the conversation he had with Ciel back in Houndsworth. "But what if I can, Amelia?"

"Yes?" The housekeeper was feeling through animal rag dolls and their softness when she was asked that question.

"What do you think of a demon feeling something so human as love? Or just, an emotion that could be likened to it in a way?"

Amelia gulps, remembering the book inside the paperbag, and hums. "It is something impossible." She shakes her head, "Ah, but since you have mentioned it, I suppose that is not the case. Just tell me whether you're finally going to reciprocate Mey-rin's feelings."

Quite disappointed in what she said, Sebastian pushed on. "You're quite belittling my taste. Plain women can never seduce me, my dear. Besides, I believe I have my sights set on _you_."

The housekeeper faltered in her movements, and Sebastian knew she would be pondering over that for a time. Before she begins to ask him again, the butler teases her, "You should have seen your face when the other woman stepped beside me; I thought you were about to cry."

Amelia gasps, facing him then punched his arm with flushed cheeks. "I was not! Stop being so full of yourself, and don't presume that I was jealous."

"...I never said anything about you getting jealous, my dear,"

The brunette groans, rubbing her temples in an attempt to prevent a headache from coming. Sebastian chuckled, "And now may I ask why she assumed us to be ' _sweethearts'_?"

She sighed and answered nonchalantly while getting a bird doll, "Well, the freckled one—Sophia—started blabbering about her romantic life when she saw me read the book's summary. I tried telling her it was for Mey-rin but she would not listen. And then you gave me the book and arrived there so suddenly, thus, I thought I should tease you a bit."

Amelia fell in line to pay for the toy. "Still though, the other one, Beatrize, seemed like she was already engaged." Sebastian shrugs, "I did see she had a ring,"

The brunette brought out money and the shopkeeper began packing the toy. "And they call themselves a _lady_. Having the nerve to flirt with a stranger, presuming that that stranger was already with somebody as well: if I was the man she were to marry, I would have ended the engagement."

The pair was outside again, and Sebastian helps her, carrying the items for her. Amelia goes in a novelty shop to buy a tobacco pouch and some colorful hairpins. "I thought you didn't like him smoking," the butler states as she pays for the items again.

"At least, I won't see them anywhere."

Their walk was silent, and only the city buzzing filled their ears. The brunette seems to be pleased, a small smile on her face. They pass by Twinings, where a number of people would be having their tea accompanied by a light snack, and most of the customers were couples.

"Would you like to take a break?" Sebastian gestured for the shop she was looking at and the lady refused. "The sooner I finish, the sooner we go home. Besides, I know someone who makes the best tea and the best cakes I have ever tasted." Amelia winks at him and enters a candy store just across Funtom's.

"Going to enemy territory? For what purpose?"

"Ah, you'll see."

She gets some cigar-looking candy, and a few new flavors that she was sure Funtom was not selling. There was a line again, and this time, there were children, accompanied by their parents. The housekeeper stared a them, with a distant look in her eyes that the butler clearly noticed. "Well, if you do not mind me asking. Have you ever thought of having a family of your own, living a simple, quaint life?"

"That is... I cannot say no, because that would be a lie. Of course, I am still a lady, and were raised to be one." Amelia looks at him, raising her left hand to her face and points to a certain finger, "If Elizabeth has Ciel to make her heart flutter, then, I too, had someone similar."

Sebastian finds himself frowning upon that, "You had a fiancé." It was no longer a question and he felt quite stupid for not assuming that even before. Amelia nodded, moving a step closer in the line after an unruly set of children were finally put at ease.

"I _loved_ him, however, I think I was a fool for believing that he felt the same. He broke the engagement around spring, a few months before my real birthday."

Sebastian was not so sure whether he was pissed at the fact that she loved some other unworthy man, or at the man for hurting Amelia. "How long were you together?" The demon punches himself internally for asking a question he would much rather not hear the answer to. "...over a year or two? But nothing so undignified ever happened between us. Maybe a dance here, a walk there. He always held my hand, gave me flowers, and if nobody was looking, he'd steal a kiss to my cheek before we parted." she had a longing smile as she remembered the bliss she once felt in her youth.

Sebastian clenched his free hand into a fist—maybe he will admit to himself that he's a little jealous, especially with that look on her face—' _ **Me**? Jealous of a human? That is too low for someone like **me**._ '

Amelia sees that the butler has gone quiet and spares him a look. "Oh, you look like you could kill someone and chop their head off," she chuckles and then a sly smile graces her lips, "Relax, it is all but a part of my past; you seem agitated, could you possibly be..." she chuckles, too amused to even finish her thought. "I have yet to feel or find love again. That, I am sure of."

She was finally paying for the candies when the butler spoke, "You are?"

"What?"

Sebastian sighs, still trying to calm himself. Without intending to do it, he glares at the brunette, making her flinch. "Nothing. Please do finish your shopping so we can return to the manor. I would not want to arrive to stones, pebbles and ash."

 


	37. Romantic Holiday?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler, its characters, and its plot (the manga arcs/anime episodes that would be included in this fanfic). They all belong to the ever-wonderful Yana Toboso. I do however, only own the OC/s.

The housekeeper continued with her shopping, and she felt the butler's mood worsen after her mentioning of having a fiancé. She tried to make conversation every now and then, but Sebastian would either just nod or hum shortly to acknowledge what ever it was she said, and the rest would be dismissed.

Soon enough, Sebastian decided to call for the carriage and have her leave some of the items in it, under his care. He left her on her own, which sort of made her sad and pleased at the same time.

"Are you done? We are running behind schedule, please do make haste."

Sebastian looked down on his companion, who was currently checking the new set of paperbags filled with presents for the stooges. Amelia hummed then shook her head. "Oh, I completely forgot one last thing. I'll be back shortly," She hurriedly replied, trying to seem nonchalant, and dashed off, back towards a certain shop she passed by moments ago.

_'A new game of cards and puzzles for Ciel, plus a medium bag of sweets. Would that suffice? I hope these would work to convince him. I must buy Sebastian_ that _, and not have Ciel order the demon to throw it away._ ' She thought while nearly tripping on her own feet upon entering the store.

"Ah, how truly splendid!" Squealing at the sight of her present for the raven-haired man, Amelia immediately pays for it, and all that time, she was using her own money, and not what she got from Bardroy. 

When she returned, Sebastian was already on the driver's seat and all she had to do was to climb in so they could leave London. Sighing happily at her achievement, she looked at Sebastian's gift once again and hoped for it to not be discovered.

The brunette stared outside the carriage's window, and even though she was pleased with her whole shopping day, she was unable to forget how the butler momentarily glared at her, and his mood shifting into something cold and bitter. ' _Was it something I said? I mean, I was merely teasing him for being jealous. I didn't even say that he was! Or... perhaps I am simply overthinking it. He must be like that because of all the time I took from today's schedule._ '

Her deep sigh was heard from the outside with Sebastian's superb hearing, and he knew. ' _...am I being too harsh? Just what is she thinking?_ ' He speeds up slightly, and begins murmuring to himself, "Ah, this was supposed to make her feel better. Yet why do I feel like she is troubled by something? Or is she troubled by me?"  

"I should have stood my ground and forced that you never should have gone with me to London." Amelia whispers, partly blaming herself for what was happening, assuming that the demon would be listening. Outside, he pulls on the reins and the pacing slows. ' _I mean, he did not even bother to help me up the carriage—something unusual for a gentlemanly demon._ '

Amelia feels that he might even be mad, but hoped it was nothing so extreme. The lady tells herself that once they arrive at the manor, she would avoid him and wait it out until he was a lot calmer and less hostile. She places her gift for the butler on the space beside her, then stares at her empty hands, especially at a certain ring finger. She felt her heart rapidly beating and all she could do was gulp. 

' _Why must I feel this way? Is it because something bad is coming or am I really reminiscing the pain of what could have been?_ '

She clenches and unclenches her hands as she thinks back to the time she first met her fiancè.

_"Greetings, my Lady. I am Russell Harvey Spencer,"_ The young man that looked to be in his late teens spoke with a charming smile, whilst offering his hand to a wig-wearing Amelia. He had a taller stature than hers, a redheaded gentleman with striking steel gray eyes. His complexion was slightly similar to that of Sebastian's.

Harvey was the son of one of the many lords in London, and his family was the first to come into terms with the Midford family regarding their "first-born" child.

_"Treat him nicely Thea, for he will be your future husband."_ The brunette can still hear the strictness from Frances' voice and the grunt of approval from Alexis Midford, as is was the order from both of her parents, and even if she felt against it, or felt confused at the need to be having to tie herself down with a man she barely knew for a day, Amelia could only follow what was asked and expected of her.

Their engagement was approaching its second year when the young Amelia began to take a strong liking for Harvey. The young man was undeniably intelligent, talented in both music and arts as he can sing and play the piano, and when he would accompany Amelia to the Phantomhive manor occasionally; together they would sit by the garden and paint. However, a trait that can be considered as a flaw is that he is a close friend of the Viscount of Druitt.

And... is easily influenced by the blond man. 

Despite that, what made her heart change its course, what made her open up was that somehow, he made her feel special. The bliss she felt from his stolen kisses on her cheek, how he would hold her hand or offer his arm to her during their walks, deep conversations during such and the exchange of sweet, meaningful letters. But most especially,  _he_ occasionally challenges  _her_ to a duel. And even if he loses, he doesn't frown upon her. Instead, he says he'll win for sure the next time and that he was merely "letting her win".

Harvey became more than just her betrothed, he became her friend.

Yet all these changed.

Perhaps for a time, Amelia blamed herself because she said those three words first.

It was a month after her "birthday", in one of his visits. She literally slipped, he caught her, and their lips almost touched. ' _Do I... what do I say?_ ' The housekeeper recalls herself in the midst of confusion and rush of adrenaline. Harvey asks her, _"Th-Thea... my dear, are you alright?"_

In a breathless whisper, she replies, _"I... love you,"_

_"Pardon...?"_

_"...I said, I love you, Harvey."_

They saw each other flushed crimson, after Harvey tosses his foil aside and removes his head gear, then Amelia's. The redheaded nineteen year old was tempted to bring their lips together however, Amelia's personal maid, Olivia, came in unexpectedly because Frances wanted to see her.

The couple scrambled to get up, and Harvey clears his throat and exits. Amelia chuckles at her younger self, the way she, as Dorothea, stuttered out an excuse and had Olivia make a vow of secrecy to her.

Weeks after that incident, Harvey slowly became distant.

Amelia's anxiety grew and luckily for her, she found the chance to confront him in one of the balls Earl Vincent Phantomhive hosted. But then, the scene she was welcomed with was truly devastating. Harvey was chatting with a different lady, someone that would be around her age; and they were too close, far too close for her liking.

_"You better have a valuable reason for treating me this way, Harvey."_

Harvey looks at her with pity and without saying anything, brings them both to a private area, in their little spot in the Phantomhive garden. 

_"I... We're ending the engagement,"_

Amelia was surprised, but hides it with a scoff,  _"I never did like your sense of humour."_

_"My Lady, please..."_ Harvey sighs, holding both of her hands and gave them a squeeze.  _"Please, do not make this harder than it already is for me. But... I simply cannot marry someone who is—?"_

_"Adopted? But were you not told of this beforehand? Why..."_

_"I know that. Your family and mine have become good partners, however... you are a natural child, and due to that fact, my parents have disallowed our marriage. The Marquis and Marchioness would soon be informed of this decision. I'm sorry, Lady Midford."_

Amelia wanted to slap him, but she was too shocked to move. Harvey left her then, without even looking back to see her tear-stained face.

It turns out, the one who told Harvey that dark secret—which Amelia herself didn't even know of—was the lady he was with; a lady he met in one of Viscount Druitt's parties. They might have shared a dance or two, and she instantly fell for Harvey's charms. That lady felt enraged that Harvey was engaged to someone; thus, she decided to look for anything about Amelia—and take Harvey away from her.

Just as Harvey said, the following day, a mere letter was sent to the Midford manor. 

Amelia's heart was not only broken by Harvey, but also by her parents, for hiding her identity from her.

* * *

The brunette's vision blurred due to her tears, as she stared out the carriage window, and all she could do was silently wipe them away. ' _Alright Mia, enough of that bastard. It... it was never your fault._ '

The carriage came to a stop about five minutes later. She was about to open the door herself, but Sebastian beat her to it. The housekeeper insisted that she would carry the last item she bought, saying that it was her gift for herself. The demon eyes the box more than the human, and the latter suddenly felt that he might have already found out.

"What?" 

"...nothing; at least, the manor is still in its proper shape." 

Amelia mentally sighs in relief, walking by the butler's side towards the main door. "Sebastian, I'm sorry you were forced to come. Nonetheless, I believe I should still thank you for it." 

' _She_ is  _troubled by my change in mood. This is too absurd for my own tastes. This way of acting is too_ human _of me. Really, why do I let a mere human girl do_ this _to me?_ ' The demon sighs, and the housekeeper thinks it was because of her, when in fact, Sebastian was more annoyed at himself, especially at what he was about to say. "Please do not blame yourself for today's matters. Truthfully speaking, no one  _is_ to be blamed. Also, letting a lady go alone and carry all these by herself is against me."

Amelia makes a small smile, "Then I'm glad for your aesthetic."

Sebastian raises a brow, unable to hold himself, "Ah, it is possible that it is no longer just my butler's aesthetic; for I would do anything for you, _My dear Lady_."

Amelia scoffs, shaking her head, "Your sarcasm is most impressive!" The brunette's hands were full, so she couldn't punch him for his statement and his way of calling her. ' _Being referred to in that way simply irks me! It's not... I'm not... Ah, whatever._ ' 

The butler does not know whether he should be pleased that she didn't understand his words, or be saddened by her denseness. Since the housekeeper noticed his improving mood, she attempts to make small talk, as they now both stood by the door, which Sebastian was opening. "Is it me, or is it unusually quiet? Then again, I'm glad the mansion is still in perfect—!"

"… _state_."

The two nearly dropped their shopping bags, especially the female one, at the sight that welcomed them: the mansion's Christmas decors were scattered everywhere—tinsels, angels, Christmas balls dangling by the ribbons hung up from one posts to the one across it—to keep it short, it was as if a multitude of storms (this is not an exaggeration) had hit the mansion.

Walking to the nearest post, Amelia picked the note stuck to it, instantly recognizing Ciel's penmanship and read the message out loud.

" _'Mia and Sebastian, I didn't think the two of you would take this long for a shopping spree. I have decided to grant the three stooges' request of going to London to shop as well, for I found this as a solution for them not to destroy my mansion. If you are reading this as of now it means I am currently with them, everything is going well and that we obviously, will not see each other in London._

_Whatever mess they have made here, clean it up then proceed to my study with sweets. All these must be in order upon my return._

_-Ciel P.'_ "

The housekeeper groaned, not noticing the way Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the note from beside her, already suspecting something. ' _If that is how you'd like to play it, Young Master..._ '

"So, what do you think? He's got us in to one of his games." Amelia looked up at him while showing him the note. Sebastian hums while sparing a look at the grand staircase, "I could not agree more."

"He wanted you to come with me so he could set this up. We should have known better." 

"I believe rightful punishment shall also be given to those who conspired with the Young Master." 

Amelia and Sebastian looked at each other this time, the former's lips tugging up into a sly smirk, crumpling the note, " _Of course_." She then continued her statement, "But first, let's get the presents to my room before we begin cleaning the place. Maybe we should put a lock on these things' containers." The brunette pats the ribbon-wrapped post before shrugging, and walking ahead of the butler.

Upon reaching her room, she tells Sebastian to place the bags of items on her bed. Amelia places her box underneath the bed and she catches him raise a brow. "I know you want to ask me something,"

"You do?" He asks mockingly, making Amelia roll her eyes. Sebastian only sighs, "Very well. That box's contents have piqued my interest," the lady nods in response, trying to be as convincing as possible, "Oh, it's nothing really. Just my usual loot of art materials."

"...is that so? Ah, next—?"

"Another question?"

"Is there a problem with it?" Sebastian opens the door of the room, and they both step out, now walking along the corridor. Amelia then, lets him finish his statement. "What has gotten me more curious is the fact that you have had a fiancè."

Amelia looks taken aback, "Why, do I seem ugly to you?"

' _No, not at all. In fact, you are probably, one of the most gorgeous grasshoppers—I mean—_ humans _, that my eyes have fell upon. Ah, no matter how or what you'd have looked like, I'd still think the same._ ' He remains silent, and the brunette tries to read him but gives up. "I take it that you do not find me beautiful. Fine by me—I have always known that I am not the apple of your eye." 

' _...you mean, "eyes",_ ' Sebastian internally chuckles at his stupid joke, thinking of his true form. "Nonsense; you look alright for a lady. So, you did say you 'loved' him; if that were the case, then why did it end?"  

"Oh _that_ ," she chuckled, as they arrived back to the main hall. The two started to get the unnecessary decorations off, with Amelia heading for the ladder that the stooges left on purpose, and the containers scattered about beside it. "Good thing that they left the boxes here," she murmurs before climbing up, beginning her work. "Anyway, he was the one who broke the engagement. And his reason: he discovered that I am an illegitimate child. He's probably with that other lady that told him about that secret that even I, at the time, did not know of."

"You didn't know?"

Amelia flinches as she was reaching for a pinecone, and while she stuttered for an answer, momentarily lost her balance. Sebastian was quick to steady the ladder and ready to catch her, but the housekeeper held onto the ladder to avoid being a hindrance. "Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine... just, talking about this to someone else is... ah, but it's nothing, really—if it weren't for him, I would not ever have known the truth. It still amazes me how that other lady got the information," 

The brunette once again, reaches for the pinecone, now with ease, then drops it in the box. "You have been asking an awful lot of questions, Sebastian." 

"Would you like to return the favor then?" The demon says, pulling on the ribbon and neatly rolling it. Amelia watches the flutter of the said article, before replying, "I would take that offer. Now, where shall I begin? How about... telling me something about your kind? Something that most people believe but is actually contrary to the truth."

Sebastian was staring at the box's contents for a while, murmuring, "I see," he holds off a smirk, then faces Amelia. "What you said earlier, that I cannot and do not have the ability to love, that is false." He watches her face turn into surprise, then gets down from the ladder to pick up the Christmas ball she dropped. "R-Really? I'm—I apologize then; so, how does it... work? I mean, do you have a heart then, literally?" 

The demon sighs, remembering his conversation with Ciel during their stay in Houndsworth. "No, I do not. Although, we do not refer to it as something so unnecessary as ' _love_ '. It is more so as a permanent attachment and possession over a certain being. Some refer to that instance, as 'soul-mates'. I have heard stories of some and that it was, and I quote, ' _as if their whole being was looking for that significant other, and lept at the sight of it._ '"

Sebastian prefers to leave out some details that he told the Phantomhive earl, waiting for Amelia's response. "Interesting! Have you found yours?"

"...No."

"Ah, I'm sure you have. Then again, you cannot lie." Her eyes were filled with sudden mirth, "But seriously, you have never felt your whole being 'leap' over another demon?"

" _No_." Sebastian pauses, ' _Perhaps if you had not specified on "demon", my answer could have been different._ ' He thinks as he tidies the boxes on one side and dusts his gloved hands. "Well now, I shall head to the kitchen to make the Young Master's snack. Please do carry on with returning these to where they belong." The butler smiles tightly, turning around and leaving. 

Amelia nods, resuming the job. She ends up talking to herself, whilst pondering over the information she's just been told, "Poor thing. I hope he too, finds that other being. Now that would certainly be a sight to see."

She picks an angel, whose wings were broken and missing. Then she chuckles, upon an idea striking her, "Ah, I'm too silly. It would be so outrageous, even for him, if it were possible that a  _soul-mate_ were human, and _he_ ends up with one."

* * *

Once Amelia was done with tidying up the main hall, she initially planned to begin her wrapping of the presents. However, she saw that Mey-rin left the laundry undone, and remembered that she also had to work on the accounting. The manor was more silent than it already was, so upon finishing the two aforementioned tasks, she pays the butler a visit.

The brunette sees him frosting the cake, inside the kitchen in peace. "Would you mind if I tried that?" She asks, stepping closer to the demon, whose concentration was second to none as he skillfully twirled and frosted said dessert. "Why?"

"You don't trust me?"

"I meant, why are you bothering me? Are you done with everything?"

Amelia nodded then sighed. "I just wanted to know how it works. Oh well," she leans on the counter, continuously watching him work. "I would not be here have I not finished my duties. It's awfully quiet, and there's not a soul to talk to."

"Of course, I do not possess such." Amelia rolls her eyes at the sarcasm then instead, began to wash the used kitchenware. Sebastian finishes, and goes on to prepare and arrange it on a tray, "Do you not want to do any of your hobbies, use your newly-bought stash from London; or perhaps, play the piano for a while, fill the manor with your music?"

"And for who will I play for?"

"Yourself. It has been a while, and I'd like to listen to you play again; it gives off quite a refreshing feeling."

Amelia pauses in her washing, feeling a bit of warmth inside of her at the unanticipated compliment from the butler. She steals a glance and finds him still busying himself with the earl's snack. She clears her throat, "Is... that so? Then, on Christmas, I shall."

Sebastian finishes, then decides to offer her a slice of the cake and a cup of tea. After she was done washing, the lady digs in on the treat. "You know, this wasn't too bad of an idea after all. I shall cherish this moment," she grins at the demon, once more thanking him.

"Ah, you call yourself a lady, yet you still get chocolate on your lips," the butler gets a napkin and dabs it on one corner of Amelia's lips. "W-Whatever..." she looks away and grabs the napkin from him, wiping the rest of it herself. Sebastian chuckles, watching her eat. Even if there were not much words shared between them, both felt at ease.

They cleaned up quickly, before they began trotting their way to Ciel's study, Sebastian pushing on the tray and the housekeeper beside him. "I still don't get the point of leaving his treat in his study when he's not even there."

Amelia opens the door first, and she sighs at the mess of papers on Ciel's table. Sebastian follows her step, as she makes space for the earl's cake, careful not to mix the documents up. "Now that's done we can—?" 

A mistletoe drops between her and the butler, and it lands on the tray the latter was holding. Amelia gulps, looking up at the ceiling—which apparently, was filled to the brim with mistletoe. Sebastian sighs, "My, my, what an awkward situation we have been put in,"

"So it was  _this_ game, I see? That's why the mistletoe were missing!" 

"Well then, I'll tell you one thing I know about Christmas, Mia." The lady raised a brow at his statement. "It's that when mistletoe is right above two people, they should kiss."

The housekeeper scratches the back of her head, "Well, I see no need to actually do that. Come now; later let's get Pluto in human form inside here, so he and the Young Master could kiss." She chuckles at the suggestion she just made, completely evading Sebastian and began walking towards the door, when suddenly someone from behind the right-side shelves pulls a hidden string that had been tied to the shelf on her left, causing it to fall. 

It ended with her and Sebastian's faces a few inches from each other as she was protected by the butler's body, since the books it contained rained down on them. Amelia winces at having landed on her shoulder, then gasps upon realizing what the demon just did. "Are you hurt? I'm sorry,"

Sebastian simply pulls himself away, holding the now-empty shelf steady with one hand, and Amelia with the other. Due to the impact they caused, another mistletoe fell from the ceiling and drops beside them. Then, Sebastian smirks. "If you're so sorry," his eyes landed on the mistletoe and Amelia follows his train of sight. She quickly understood what he meant and frowned, though her cheeks began to have a little pink in them.

Amelia averts her eyes from him, already panicking internally. She murmurs something inaudible and the demon inches closer, "You were saying?"

"...closer,"

"Pardon?"

"I said,  _come closer_! You're quite tall for me to reach!" 

Sebastian lowers his face, then Amelia takes a breath before she tilts her head up to kiss him softly on his lips. A few seconds into it, the demon growls—a low rumble from his chest—and he forces the shelf to its original position, so his other arm can wrap around the brunette's body. His hand ends up above her pained shoulder, and somehow, Amelia shivers at that point of contact.

' _My word, it's so soothing... his hand... more..._ ' she thinks, lost in the relaxing feeling and moves, unaware that she had closed the distance between their bodies. 

Before Sebastian could even have the chance of heating things up, the stooges' cheers from behind the right-side shelves breaks their kiss. Both of them pulled away, and each had differing thoughts.

' _Ah, how could I forget that those imbeciles were there? No matter, a little taste would suffice... for now._ '

' _Shit! They were there all along?! Did Sebastian know?! Oh, I'm certain he knew about this even from the start since we arrived! Damn it all, why must I be so dumb!_ ' 

Amelia's feelings were scrambled up. To feel incomplete, relieved, embarrassed or extremely annoyed: that is most certainly the question she wants to answer as well. But oh, her face screams that of murder once her green eyes caught wind of the three servants, and with them, a camera.

"B-B-Bard... I think it's best we run for it now, yes!" 

She immediately chased after them soon as Mey-rin said that. After they left, Ciel came out of the shadows, grinning as he eyed his butler. Sebastian had a satisfied look on his face. "I didn't think you would go that far, Young Master. Congratulations on winning your little game." The demon smirked, causing the earl to raise a brow. "What are you saying? Now take those mistletoe out of my office and clean those books up,"

Ciel goes behind his desk and sits, begins eating on the cake while his butler begins on his work. His teeth got caught on something and he spits it out on a napkin, only to see that it was a mistletoe. The young lad's visible eye glares at the butler, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Well, I just thought you have been thinking so kindly of me lately—going through such elaborate attempts of getting me and _that lady_ together. Would this be your 'Christmas present' for me, Young Master?"

"Shut up; although seeing you on edge is something that I find entertaining. Had those three mice not made any noise, who knows just what else you could have done to my poor cousin,"

Sebastian maintains a smirk, unable to deny his master's assumptions whilst shaking his head. "I may be a demon, but I still am a butler and a gentleman. And who says that I shall let all of you see 'what else' I could have done to her? Those are... not for children like you to see." He winks, making the Phantomhive earl hold back his gagging. 

Ciel throws the mistletoe at him, hitting the demon straight to his face. "I do not wish to know, now get out you perverted demon! You've just ruined my snack!"

A couple of minutes later, three servants were found heavily injured, which of course, was caused by none other than Amelia. Even Bardroy seemed surprised that  _she_ was able to take on the three of them, especially with what they were known to be capable of. The other two were staring into nothingness, and Mey-rin even had her glasses removed. It would be safe to say that Amelia was able to scar them for that moment in time. She rounded them up in the servants' chambers.

Now, that certain brunette was pacing back and forth in front of them, "Do forgive me if I have gotten this far but, please, do not make me repeat myself: where is it?"

"W... What?"

Amelia clicks her tongue, glaring at the chef, "Don't play dumb with me, Bard _-fro_. Where's the picture?"

The three looked down on their toes and replied slowly, afraid that the housekeeper might snap by their answer.

"Please don't be mad at us… but the picture…"

"I-It's not with us, no it's not…"

"Spare us, Miss Mia!"

The lady raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms. She was about to speak when Sebastian opened the door with a slam, stopping and shocking Amelia at the same time.

For the first time, the three felt relieved in seeing Sebastian.

"Mia, I do believe that is enough. I suppose you have had your fill of... slightly murdering them." He scolded her, as he motioned for the other three to go do and return to their work. Amelia lets them off, now having her full attention on the butler. "They don't have the picture with them."

"Calm down, _My_   _L_ _ady_. If it's not with them, surely you can try asking for it from the Young Master?" he steps closer to her, whispering, "You do know that all that was just a childish joke orchestrated by him. So, why do you want to see that picture so badly? Could it be that you want to see how well we look together?"

Immediately he draws back, avoiding Amelia's punch, catching her fist in his palm and he smirked. He pulls her to him and bent slightly so that his face was closer to hers. The brunette tries to wriggle her hand free but Sebastian holds on tighter, "Hm? Which is it then, _My Lady_?"

She becomes pissed and ends up stomping on his foot with her heel, pushing him away with a roll of her eyes. Amelia walks to the doorway, "None of your business. But you know what? Alright, fine, I do not and will  not care anymore. Now please, get back to work, Mr. Butler. I still have some presents to wrap for tomorrow."

* * *

Soon, the sun had set, and Ciel was still, somehow annoyed at the butler. Which is why, it was only the housekeeper who was to get him to bed. Sebastian did, however, prepare for him some warm milk and honey. "Do you not want to stay up until midnight? Besides, it is Christmas Eve, Ciel." Amelia suggested as she handed him the drink. The young earl drank the contents of the cup and stares ahead.

"I do not believe it is necessary. After all, this is the first time in years that we will be celebrating Christmas the way people do and there is no need for me to go that far."

Amelia crosses her arms, "True, since you sold your young soul to an elderly demon; exactly _why_ would you even celebrate Christmas, right?" her tone was filled with sarcasm, causing Ciel to roll his eyes and glare at her, which softened after a few moments, randomly remembering something he has been meaning to ask. "By the way, how's your shoulder?"

The housekeeper was surprised to hear the question from Ciel. "Oh, I never really told you about that, did I not?  I'm assuming that butler did." she raises a brow, and the young lord nods, not going into detail regarding how Sebastian explained her situation the night before. 

"Well, it's fine already; as though a big weight was stripped off me. Maybe it was caused by stress upon hearing the news of Frances coming here." Amelia says, patting herself and Ciel could only hum, probably thinking of something he might ask his butler about after hearing her answer. She shrugged at his lack of response and continued, heading straight to the point. "Alright, I will not stay around here for long. Just give me the picture back and we shall part tonight in peace."

Ciel lied down after handing the teacup back to her. Amelia places it on the tray, then tucks him in as the earl turns his back on her. "Picture…" Ciel smirked before continuing, "What picture?"

" _Ciel_."

"Whatever it is, then it is not with me and I really am telling the truth. Now get out, I need my rest… also, it's an order, so you can't do a thing about it." He retorted, his bratty side getting the best of him.

Amelia sighs exasperatedly before she bid him good night, and groaned after getting out of his room. "If it's not with him… probably Sebastian got rid of it. Oh well, then it's less work for me." She talked to herself as she walked towards the empty kitchen to tidy up. She was confused that the butler wasn't there, and guessed he was scouting the perimeters of the manor for intruders.

The housekeeper stretched her arms and fought off a yawn, whilst walking to her room. "Now, to work on my letters and gift-wrapping." She inhales some positivity and a hint of a smile was evident on her lips, "If Mother were here, then I could have finished in no time. How I wish... to see her again,"


	38. Presents Galore

Amelia spent the whole night wrapping gifts and writing letters for her handful of friends. The housekeeper cracks her knuckles, yawns and stretches but soon enough, she was done. She tiptoed down the hallways, carrying with her a large bag over her shoulder. Amelia passed by the stooges' chambers first, before heading up to Ciel's just so she could slip a small sheet of paper containing a note, through the door's slit.

When that was finished, Amelia returned to the main hall where the large Christmas tree stood, and placed her bag of gifts down; giggling as she arranged them beneath the tree. The housekeeper sighs contentedly at her work, a small, proud smile on her lips. "Alright, that should do it. Now, everything's set for tomorrow's Christmas party,"

" _Another_ party?"

Startled, the brunette took a step back, seeing Sebastian standing a little beside her, slightly bent to her level with a raised brow. Amelia frowns slightly at his unwanted presence, although she knew it was to be expected from someone who lurks the manor and does not need rest. "Well, you could call it that? Rather, it's a get-together because, since when did every person in this manor ever bonded together; _regardless_ of social standing?"

The butler crossed his arms, "Perhaps that little mistletoe trick, or the time when the Young Master wanted you and those imbeciles to capture a photo of me?" He pauses, clasping his palms together, "Oh, how about swimming back in Houndsworth? Surely you all did _not_ bond at all," 

Amelia rolls her eyes, "You can stop shoving it in my face that _you don't want to take part in it_. Besides, I am doing this more for _them_ than someone that is not really a someone." She turns her back on him, begins folding the red sack after picking it up from the floor. 

Sebastian continues, "So I assume all of tomorrow's activities are in your hands?" 

" _Of course_ , I am taking full responsibility. Now, if you'll excuse me." Amelia began walking in the direction towards her room as she didn't have the energy to argue with the demon further, because she was tired and still feeling a bit of pain every now and then from that shoulder. 

However, his question made her stop in her tracks, "Which one is mine?"

"Pardon?"

Sebastian looks down, then back at her again. "My present."

The housekeeper paused for a while, blinking as she processed his words. She then snorted, trying to hold her laugh in and spoke with amusement spelled across her face. "Hold on, _you_ just asked for your _present_? I thought you were not interested? So, should I be taking that for a 'yes'?"

The butler sighs, "I asked one question and you answer me with three more. Did you not buy every _one_ a gift?"

Amelia chuckles, shrugging before she went back on her way, preferring not to answer him properly. "See you tomorrow, Sebastian. God, I do wonder what  _scrumptious food you_ will be preparing~?" 

The demon's eye twitches, watching her leave and her silhouette disappear into the darkness of the manor's other wing, "Why ask  _him_ when _I_ am already here? Really, the human mind is quite complex and difficult to understand at times,"

* * *

The next morning, upon entering his master's room, Sebastian had taken notice of the small folded paper on the floor. He picked it up and placed it on the bedside table, right next to the day's newspaper for Ciel to read.

"What's that?"

"It would appear that _someone_ wants to hold a, and I quote, 'get-together', in the mansion."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "Does that explain why _she's_ not here?" The butler solemnly nods in reply and remains silent. He pours the lad some tea, "I tried dampening her spirits however," Sebastian sighs, shaking his head, proceeding with getting Ciel dressed.

"Perhaps she has been infected by Lizzie's _er_ , habits. Maybe I should have made her return to Aunt Frances so she could live the life she is somehow, supposed to be living?"

Sebastian paused in tying the ribbon around Ciel's neck for a split-second, making the latter look down on his bent figure with suspicion. Ciel couldn't hide his amusement and smirks. "Then again if I had, Aunt Frances  _would_ cut all your hair off, once she sees youcreeping about their manor just to see Mia." 

Sebastian forces a smile before standing tall once more. He gets the newspaper and the note, handing it over to the young earl. Ciel reads with a sigh, boredom etched on his childish features.

" _'A Phantomhive get-together because I want everyone to feel the spirit of the Holidays this year! Everyone will have to eat dinner together, and open gifts "Santa" left last night under the Christmas tree!_

_P.S. Ciel please, at least just this once let's all bond together even if you think of it as pathetic._

_– Mia'_ "

"The three imbeciles believed _that_ part Young Master, I have a feeling they did."

"Of course, what would we expect? I have no choice; I want to see how _you_ react to such frivolous events anyway, especially if it is by her doing." Ciel reads through the newspaper then, while Sebastian proceeds to quietly putting his shoes on him. After that, the earl stood from his bed and began descending the grand staircase.

"Good morning, Young Master!" the three plus Amelia, all greeted in unison and Tanaka's _ho-ho-hoing_ was heard in the background. Amelia stood straight first then added with a grin, "Merry Christmas!"

The three followed as well, causing a sigh to escape Ciel's lips. Silence followed for a short while until Ciel looked at each of them. Their faces looked as if they were expecting something for him to say, and the young boy, then looked down on his toes, "Merry… Christmas…" they all cheered except for the butler, for he could only snicker, his back facing everyone else as his shoulders shook.

"And for that _you_ ," Ciel pointed at the other servants, "You can go to London and do a little Christmas shopping of your own." Once again they cheered, jumping in joy. They bowed their heads and dashed off.

When they left, Amelia grins and places a hand on the earl's head, "I'm so glad you're in this Ciel, thank you."

"Well, I—!"

Amelia suddenly hugged her cousin tight, his face slightly buried in her chest. At first the young earl felt awkward, but later a tint of pink washed over his pale cheeks and his hands balled into fists at his sides. They stayed like that for a while that Sebastian had to clear his throat to separate them.

"Alright, let the Young Master have his breakfast."

Ciel began walking ahead and Amelia followed them saying, "I didn't think you would say that, Sebastian. I expected you to tease Ciel for letting the other servants go or about him blushing when we hugged."

"I certainly did _not_ blush."

" _Shush_ , Ciel. You're not part of this conversation."

" _Ah_ , it is so early, and it is rare to see you bustling with energy. Perhaps you had the time to sleep adequately, _or_ you lack it for wasting your time, wrapping your so-called presents and even writing letters for them?" the butler answered her.

The housekeeper just applauded the demon and watched his straight face. "It's all worth it, after all, such an opportunity happens only once a year. Well, perhaps it can be done any other day, however _I_ would not have a sufficient reason for holding such an... event. Besides, you practically agreed to it after asking me for your present."

Ciel smirks, "Oh? A demon is asking for a present?"

Amelia chuckles evilly, "Not just any present though—he's asking for a  _Christmas_ present."

Sebastian had a tick mark on his forehead, speaking through gritted teeth. "Well then, your breakfast, Young Master."

His breakfast was silent as usual, more silent  since the stooges weren't there. Amelia suddenly spoke, "I forgot to mention one thing to both of you: that is, you two need to provide gifts for everyone— _not extra pay_ —alright? No excuses." 

"And she's so talkative today…" Ciel murmured before sipping his morning tea.

The brunette rolled her eyes. " _Sure_. Well, I shall leave you two alone. I better start working, so you two can start talking behind my back," she turned around and walked towards the hall and proceed with her duties.

The males watched her go, and once the doors closed Ciel sighs. "She comes up with either the best ideas or the worst. If she tells us to Christmas carol, I'm kicking her out."

"Hopefully she wouldn't go _that_ far. I trust that she knows her limits." Sebastian reassured the both of them. Ciel swallowed his food and smirked, waving his fork towards the butler. "Do you have any clue as to what she'll give you?"

"Young Master, I believe you have a problem at hand: that is, to give us anything but money." He places a gloved hand on his chest and bowed mockingly before he started cleaning up.

By afternoon, the other servants were back with their presents and also went to wrap them up. Even Ciel was done scavenging for presents around the manor and obviously had a hard time with wrapping rather than choosing a gift. Sebastian, on the other hand, was in the kitchen, cooking.

Amelia passes by the Christmas tree after she ensures that Mey-rin would _not_ mistake the wax for the shoe polish. She counts the presents and frowns slightly. Then, she heads straight to the kitchen, her nostrils welcomed by the smell of good food.

"Dinner is something to look forward to, I suppose,"

Sebastian smirks, "But of course, what kind of a butler would I be if I can't even accomplish such a feat?" 

Amelia pulls a chair for her to sit on, then she sits, facing the back. Sebastian looks at her oddly for a moment, at the unladylike manner but the housekeeper could not care less. Instead, she just shrugs her shoulders and taps a finger on her chin. "...so, you still have not made gifts,"

"Would you rather starve to instead receive presents?"

' _Alright, he's pissed._ ' the housekeeper thinks and steers the subject, "Of course not, it's just that, I just thought that since you were Sebastian, you can make unimaginable things possible. Meaning, you'd have gifts and not let us starve at the same time." She reasoned, now standing beside him, watching as he checked on the turkey.

"I can give them anything and they wouldn't bother anyways." Sebastian replied nonchalantly, moving on to get the cake and start frosting it, waiting for the turkey to be fully cooked. "You have a point," she murmured then added a bit louder, "But that's _not_ the point of gift-giving, Sebastian."

"I'm a demon, am I not?"

" _Touché_. It's hard to deny, but I'm quite curious as to what presents a demon will give us." She then went and helped him by washing the used utensils. After a few minutes, Sebastian pulled the turkey out, sticking a sharp knife into the fattest part of the thigh.

"You'll see, after all I am one _hell_ of a butler." He replied as clear juices ran with the meat pulling apart easily. "Thus, tonight's dinner is perfect."

* * *

It took a while before dinner actually started. Amelia, after her conversation with the butler, left the kitchen and went to her room to check on her gift for Sebastian. She pulls the box open and sighs contentedly, ' _Alright, it's fine. H_ _e must not find this little one..._ '

"Dinner is served,"

The butler announced after placing the humans' plated meals before them. Ciel sat on his seat at the head of the table, as he is the head of the house. Tanaka was on his right and Amelia on his left. Mey-rin was beside the brunette, while Bardroy and Finnian were beside Tanaka.

Quite a strange setting it is indeed, for how often does a master of the house sit with his servants for a meal? But the housekeeper was intent on breaking the norms of Victorian society, because hey, they were all human. 

Well, except for the butler.

"Sebastian, why don't you join us?" Amelia says to the still standing butler and Ciel had an idea, teasing him further, "She's right, get your own meal, then take a seat across from mine, just like on _that day_. I would not mind,"

The two males stared, or most likely, glared at each other, waiting to see who will falter first. Amelia snickers then, when Sebastian bends to his master's will with a small, inaudible sigh. 

Once the demon had settled down, Ciel looked at them all sternly, "This is just for today and today only. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, Young Master." After that, they all began to eat save for the brunette. Amelia bowed her head, with her hands clasped together and said a small prayer in her head. Sebastian watched as her lips moved to form words without a sound escaping them. When she was done, she speaks with a small smile, "Thank you, Young Master. I really did not think you would heed my request," she winks triumphantly and chuckles.

"To have dinner with everyone like this…"

"It's such a wonderful experience, yes!"

"Now Mister Sebastian knows how good he cooks!"

Ciel and her cousin grinned knowingly at the butler that had to keep his composure, eating the food that to him tastes nothing else but sand. "You're doing quite well, Sebastian." The Phantomhive head said, trying to tease the demon.

"Why of course, Young Master. After all I am—!"

"A butler to _die_ for?" Amelia interrupted him from saying his line, imitating the redheaded reaper, causing laughter to erupt from everyone else. "Mia, if you would please _never_ to imitate such a monstrosity again."

"Aw, I was kidding, Sebastian. I think you need to get out of the dark, because you need to...  _lighten_ up." The brunette snorts at her own lame pun, probably the lamest one she has ever made and said without a hint of shame. The rest deliberately paused in eating, either to prevent themselves from choking or to scratch the back of their heads since they could not un-hear it. 

Sebastian, on the other hand, noticed this and while he was still quite displeased with her imitation of Grell, he can only chuckle in his mind, needing to control his emotions from showing, ' _Ah... that was a good one. Really, this human..._ ' he had to feign wiping something on his mouth to hide the nasty smirk.

Bardroy wasn't that pleased because he nearly spit out good food. "Maybe you're just asking for attention from Sebastian. Is that how desperate you are Mia?" The chef teased, the conversation now taking a complete turn. Ciel raised a brow and Amelia's eyes went wide, a faint blushing creeping to her cheeks. "Excuse me, but what on earth did you just say?"

"See, you even _want_ to hear it again. That _you_ want attention from Sebastian so badly." The chef chuckled evilly, Ciel snickered, Finnian looked completely clueless as he ate away, Mey-rin was flailing her arms in the air trying to stop Bardroy and Sebastian grins triumphantly.

"I'm giving you the whole night to apologize or else you'll never see the light of day, Bard-fro." She said in a closed-eyed smile, much like that of Sebastian's.

Sebastian nods his head, placing a knuckle to his chin, "My, my, I should have known. I appreciate your fondness of me; do say a single word, and I promise you that my eyes will be  _only_ for you."

The brunette rolls her eyes, scoffing. ' _A demon making promises? Preposterous,_ ' she stabs a piece of turkey as she replies, "There's no need for such, because I do not believe in promises made by the likes of you."

"I just don't want something else going on tonight, Mia. I plan to go to sleep." Ciel added a tad bit innocently.

"Th-the Young Master… s-seems to have… _s-something else_ in mind, yes he does!" Mey-rin exclaimed, getting a napkin to cover and stop her bleeding nose.

"Y-Young Master? I suppose it is quite surprising for you to think of it _that_ way." Sebastian sips on his wine while still looking at the earl. "What? I don't want to hear any screaming ruckus when she beats Bard up. Is there anything wrong with that?" Ciel had asked; totally contradicting to what all the adults had in mind.

All the while, Amelia kept silent and her growing blush had receded. She finished eating the potatoes, the turkey, basically everything on her plate plus her wine. She wiped her mouth free of the oil and cleared her throat.

"I'll go get the dessert, now, excuse me." She stood up and quickly went to the kitchen and brought out a chocolate pudding and a three-layered fruitcake. When she returned, everyone was waiting for her.

As expected, the other servants exclaimed in joy upon seeing the abundance of sweets. It was gone in a much quicker time than expected, truthfully. With clasped hands and a grin, Amelia declares, "We will do the clean up later, so that we can now open your presents."

Ah yes, she is taking full responsibility.

They made their way outside the dining hall towards the Christmas tree. Different sizes of presents wrapped both nicely or scrappily sat beneath the grand tree.

"Who wants to have their presents first?"

Finnian raised his hand up, waving it slightly as well. "Alright then, we shall go in this order," It was decided then, that in handing out gifts, Ciel would be the first and it shall go along the servants, following from the highest position down to the last. "When everyone receives their gifts we should all open together."  

Ciel proceeded. The young man walked over to get a distorted looking present and gave it to the gardener.

"I was kind of expecting extra pay…" Bardroy murmured to no one in particular, causing Amelia to elbow him, hitting his rib.

"It's something you'll gladly use when it's hot." Ciel describes the gift briefly before stepping aside. Next was Tanaka who, surprisingly was in his human form and gave a tiny box nicely wrapped. Then it was Sebastian who dropped a small package on the gardener's hands. "In hopes you'll do better at your job."

Amelia came after, with a fairly sized box on her hands. "I hope you have fun with the things I got you." The other servants followed and to be honest, some of them looked _so_ obvious.

It was Ciel's turn to receive presents, and now Tanaka was first to give him one. "I do hope you treasure this, Young Master." Everyone kept silent every time he had to give presents; it's just that for them Tanaka is someone to be respected. Even Sebastian does so. Speaking of, he followed, giving his master the present. "So you won't have to ask me to stay there until you sleep." The butler smirked, seeing the earl slightly blush at his words.

Then it was Amelia again, "Consider my gift as some sort of bribery. I'll explain soon, don't worry. It's just for this time, so please do agree with my last request."

" _Fine_."

"I hope you like our presents, Young Master!" the three plus Tanaka bowed at the same time, presenting their gifts to the little kid.

Then, Tanaka came after Ciel's.

"I suppose you missed having this," the young master said quietly, handing his present. "Let's just say that you might want to wear something similar to this as well." Sebastian stated with a smile as he stepped closer to Tanaka.

"I think my present for you is obvious, but I hope you'll like it still." Amelia replied while handing her present to the old man that looked at her intently. The other three had formed a line behind the housekeeper and gave the house steward their gifts.

Right after Tanaka would be Sebastian, of course.

"I had a difficult time finding this," Ciel started while handing a box to the butler.

"I believe that you will have a happy life with someone you find dear." The old man said to Sebastian. Amelia let the other three ahead, causing the demon to narrow his eyes at her. "Mia, could you have possibly forgotten mine?"

She just shrugs, looking away, "Not really... but yours is the reason why I have to bribe the earl." So, Ciel looks at her then back at the butler and huffs out air. The gift-giving continues with Mey-rin fidgeting, while giving Sebastian her present for him. "I-I h-hope you will l-like it, y-yes!"

The other men gave it casually, unlike the maid.

Their little event went on until all the presents were handed out and none were left under the Christmas tree. Indeed, the grand tree served its purpose well. And, for what those presents are...

Finnian got a new hat from Ciel, a teacup with birds for a design from Tanaka, two pairs gloves from Sebastian, medium sized rag dolls of a bird and a dog plus rainbow pins from Amelia, flower pot from the maid and a vase from the chef.

"Hopefully the vase an' flower pot would last longer than three days." Bardroy muttered to Sebastian, who replied, "Of _course,_ "

Next, Mey-rin received a pair of stockings from Ciel—where he got this, probably in one of the random drawers—bottle of perfume from Tanaka, handmade apron from Sebastian, "Beastly Obsession" from Amelia, cheap make-up from Bardroy, and hair bows from Finnian.

"These are s-such lady-like th-things! Th-Thank you all so m-much!"

For Bardroy, luckily for him Ciel found a chef hat somewhere; perhaps it was used by his father when they cooked together. Tanaka gave him a pack of tea since he's against his smoking; Sebastian gave him three neckties of different colors, cigarette candies, a tobacco pouch and a dynamite-looking rattle from Amelia, pack of cigar from Mey-rin and a large bag of lollipops from Finnian.

"I expected new bombs though…" His statement causes Sebastian to hit him at the back of his head hard. "It would do best if you would stop expecting the impossible."

Tanaka's presents were: a pocket watch from Ciel, a smaller version of Sebastian's uniform hand sewn by the demon for when the old man were to go into his chibi form, a new tea set from Amelia, cigars from Bardroy, a novel from Mey-rin and coffee from Finnian.

By the time he finished opening his presents, he has returned to his chibi form, but not without thanking them with a " _ho-ho-ho~_ ".

For Amelia, she recognized the ring that Ciel gave her—it was his mother's—that had a gold band and an oval diamond which Rachel rarely wore for she never really enjoyed such lavishness.

Tanaka only smiled at her when she exclaimed, "Why is my teacup the same with Sebastian's?" Mey-rin had a hunch about its purpose and blushed. "I-I see, even Mister Tanaka thinks of y-you two like _that_ , yes!"

Her gift from Sebastian was none, much to her and Ciel's slight irritation. ' _Eh, I doubt that he really didn't get me one. When he said "It's a secret," I knew there will be something. If he's playing it that way, then..._ '

From Mey-rin was a rather, sexy-looking nightgown that caused the housekeeper to blush madly, and the chef to cough out his perverseness; from Bardroy was a handkerchief that had her name on it, and lastly from Finnian was a white scarf. The lady excuses herself then, and heads to her room.

At the same time, Sebastian finished with opening his gift from the old man. "I'm still curious as to why Mister Tanaka had to give _us_ identical teacups." The butler stated, his curiosity not evident since he already _knows_ why. 

Finnian gave him a pair of black gloves and a small bottle of perfume from Mey-rin. "That's a manual for butlers since you _love_ to do the kitchen work," Bardroy said a little grumpily, earning a raised brow from the butler. "If you say so then," Sebastian next got Ciel's present and opened it, which was a velvet coat. "That belonged to my Father years ago. Your height was quite the same with his." Ciel explained. The demon bowed with a mocking smirk, "Thank you, Young Master. It is such an honor."

" _Shut up._ "

Amelia returns just in time from her room, carrying the box she hid under her bed. "Young Master? Whatever Sebastian will receive from me, I do hope my present for you will make do. You agreed to it, anyway." The housekeeper said, still holding the box. 

"...are those not your art materials?"

"If so, then why 'bribe' me for such little things?"

Amelia chuckles, putting the box down, "You'll see. Sebastian, I'm certain you will absolutely adore this. Merry Christmas!" She grabs his gloved hand and places it on the lid with a squeeze. He can feel her anxiety and excitement through her pulse. Thus, he did what he had to do and opened the gift. 

Only to reveal a small kitten with a blue ribbon tied to its neck.

The moment the animal was exposed, Ciel instantly started to sneeze. "Wh-Why would you—!?"

Amelia cut him off with a sincere apology and a low bow, "I'm so sorry, Young Master."

But the butler's eyes began to sparkle, not caring at all, and the other servants squealed at the sight of the cute kitten. It was a white British Shorthair; its tail shaded with a little silver-gray, and had green eyes that stared back at Sebastian's wine red ones.

"Oh! It looks like Mia!"

"Let's name it, yes we should!"

"I am still against this! Put that cat away!"

"But you agreed, Young Master. Plus, it was Mia's choice of giving such a beauty to me. I shall name it since you all might give it a name that will not deserve such perfection."

" _Purr_ -fection?" Bardroy murmured. Amelia and Ciel face-palmed.

"Well, I'm glad that he loves it."

Ciel sighed, blowing his nose on the handkerchief the brunette handed him. "Just let it not be the reason for you to slack during work."

"Yes, My Lord," he quickly replied. "Therefore, her name shall be... Avery." Sebastian said as he was looking at the housekeeper, whose eyes were now widened. She scratches her cheek, shrugging at his choice. "That's a... very nice name." 

The two stared at each other quite longer than expected, and it was hard to tell what it could have meant.

The demon holds his pet in his right arm, and checks his pocket watch with his left hand. "Let's see what the Young Master received, so that he may retire already. It is way past his bedtime."

Ciel began, "I'll see Mia's present first." Turns out to be some sweets from their enemy company, two decks of cards, and some large puzzles. He stared at it for a while with a sigh until, "Just keep _that_ creature away from me." Ciel silently said then proceeded with opening the others.

Mey-rin gave him an eye-patch that had Santa Claus for a design. Bardroy gave him a toy gun, and a teddy bear came from Finnian. From Sebastian was a small, black stuffed toy cat that was made by him.

"Mister… Tanaka? Why would you give me this?"

" _Ho-ho-ho~_ "

"Oh, he's in his other form." The young earl gazed at the cover of the journal. It belonged to his father when Vincent was in his teens, until the day he passed on. Ciel decided not to read it, at least not at the moment.

At the right time, perhaps, before his own end.

Amelia initiated a group hug, all the while greeting them a "Merry Christmas,". Ciel ended up sneezing lots because the butler never let go of the cat during the hug. After that, Sebastian began to speak to the servants. "Well, now that this event is over, it is time to clean up."  

He turns to the Phantomhive earl, "Young Master?"

" _Get the cat fur off you first._ "

* * *

It was late in the evening already, and Sebastian had long tucked Ciel into bed. Amelia and the others successfully cleaned the dining hall and not one dish suffered. The two head servants somehow met by the hallway of the housekeeper's room.

"Amelia? Where is Ery's food?"

She blinked once, twice, to wipe the surprise from her face. The brunette holds back a yawn as she answered, "Well, you came to the right place at the right time. Would you like to come in?"

"It is difficult for a gentleman to decline an offer coming from such a lady,"

She slaps his arm before opening the door to her room. The two went inside, and the housekeeper kneels by her bed to get a bag filled with the cat's essentials. Amelia stands with the bag in her hands while asking, "Why would you name her with such a name, Sebastian?"

"Probably because Finnian had mentioned she looked like you, Avery. "

The way her name escaped his lips made the lady's heart skip, and butterfly wings to flutter in her stomach. It somehow made her feel that Christmas was not so cold anymore. ' _N-No way I'm feeling this... don't be stupid,_ '

Sebastian caresses Ery's fur, hearing the small gasp from Amelia. He decides to wait for what she's about to say. "Ah, is that so? Then... then, were all your gifts handmade?" The housekeeper asked, scratching behind Ery's ear. She grins when the kitten mewls softly.

The demon wanted to stay in that moment, and somehow his gloved hand raised to touch her face. But Amelia looks up at him, then at his hand, so Sebastian was forced to make it seem like he was asking for the bag. 

"Oh, right... here," 

He walks to the door since he has what he needs, then pauses by the doorway. "Amelia, regarding your question: confirm it for yourself by checking your gift,"

The brunette was about to stop him from leaving, but he cuts her off with, "Good night, Mia."

She swallows hard once he left, then changes into her nightclothes, preferring not to wear Mey-rin's gift. When she plopped down on her bed, she felt something rather hard beneath her usually soft and comfortable pillows.

"Oh my…"

Once she pulled it out, it happened to be a wooden picture frame. It was black, with roses elegantly carved on it for decoration. Silver paint lined the roses' edges. The picture was her, sprawled on the grass, directly below the moonlight as she tried to draw Pluto. And, somehow beside her, was her real mother with ginger curls and jet-black eyes, looking at her lovingly.

Amelia could not believe her eyes that she had to pull the photo out, and behind it fell the one the stooges had taken during her and Sebastian's mistletoe predicament. "This... this is... more than I could ask for. Thank you," her whispered voice cracks at the end of her statement.

She was speechless, and only her tears conveyed her emotions. She cried at the photo of her mother, she cried in embarrassment for her and Sebastian's photo, and she cried at the beauty of the picture frame. When she flipped the frame to place the pictures back inside, there was a short message written in the demon's magnificent penmanship. 

" _'Merry Christmas, Amelia._

_May you hold on to these memories so long as you exist._

_-Sebastian'_ "

Placing the gift on the bedside table, she smiled, wiping the tears away before heading to sleep; the most peaceful one she's going to get in a while.


	39. Doomsday

"This morning, you are scheduled to have a dancing lesson with Mrs. Bright. In the afternoon, you have an appointment with Lord Winsler who runs a trading business," Sebastian paused in reading the day's schedule, as he trailed behind Ciel.

"Are you paying attention, Young Master?"

Ciel turned his head slightly to look at the butler with narrowed eyes, "Did I not tell you I've had enough of dancing? It doesn't suit me."

"You are too modest," says the butler with his mocking smile in place and a hand to his chest. "Your steps, Young Master, have the power to satisfy spectators' hearts."

"By letting them have a hearty laugh? Is that what you mean?"

"No, no. Of course _not_." Sebastian quickly defended himself. Soon after, laughs of an old house steward and a slightly familiar man could be heard from down the hallway. Ciel stopped in his steps and turned to a certain door.

"Look, Tanaka _-san_ , I've got three stems floating upright! A most auspicious sign that today will be an excellent day." White-haired Queen's butler said while holding a teacup similar to that of Tanaka's, sitting in the same manner as his, on a chair across the house steward.

"Ho-ho-ho~!"

With an obviously vexed and surprised face, Ciel exclaims soon as he opens the door. "You are... Her Majesty's butler!" Ash turned his head to look at the Phantomhive earl. "Master Ciel, I am sorry such an unsightly thing occurred in your presence." Ash suddenly stood up with a smile and bowed his head slightly.

"How is it that Her Majesty's butler came drinking tea in my mansion?" Ciel asked, whilst Sebastian had closed the door behind him. "You may not be aware of this Young Master, but Mister Ash has always been the one to deliver Her Majesty's orders." The butler informed his master, a gloved hand raised towards the white-haired man.

Ciel looks mildly surprised, "Is that even a butler's job?"

"As a butler," Ash began then continued, explaining quickly. "It is only natural to be able to investigate applicants for an audience with Her Majesty using the Doomsday Book, deliver a letter to Lord Phantomhive shortly thereafter and relish some tea with Mr. Tanaka while about this business, conducting it during Her Majesty's afternoon nap." And he sipped from the teacup loudly, slurping the hot drink, upon finishing his statement.

"Well, you could do without tea…" Ciel murmured, his face not showing any hint of amusement with Tanaka's _ho-ho-ho-ing_ sounding off behind him.

"So Mr. Ash, what can we do for you this time?" Sebastian answered coolly, going back to the subject. Ash finished sipping his tea and looked at them, also going into business-mode. 

"Well, now."

In some other part of the mansion, the maid and her boss could be seen together, doing their usual household chores.

"That's odd."

Mey-rin shot her head up to the sound of her female boss' voice. "Y-Yes?" she questioned, watching the brunette walk down the hallway towards the glass wall, overlooking the other side of the manor. "See, Pluto's acting very unusual and very excited. He's even in his human form." Amelia beckons the cherry-haired maid, before she pointed her finger towards the said demon hound.

It was exactly where Ciel, Sebastian, Tanaka and Ash were.  

Mey-rin only nods, "P-Perhaps, Mister Sebastian is there, that's why," she pushes up her glasses before continuing her work. Amelia remained standing and staring there for a while, murmuring, "...perhaps," 

She shrugged her shoulders and turned to the kitten, Ery, and immediately smiled at the sight of the feline. The cat rubs its body against her leg and she soon picks it up, and rubbed noses with the said animal. Ery seems to be enjoying their play time, and pokes her cheek with one of her paw, "Alright, stop wrapping me around your little paws," Then she put her back down, thinking, ' _Because I'm afraid your owner is trying to get me wrapped around his finger. Unfortunately, it is quite effective. Damn, what am I saying? Why am I starting the new year with pure nonsense..._ '

Ery only mewled, resuming with rubbing her body against Amelia's leg. Mey-rin chuckles from behind, "She seems to l-like you so much, yes!" The housekeeper also lets out a short laugh at that before fake reprimanding the cat, "I have to work you know, and it's time for you to eat. Or has your owner already fed you? No matter, I shall spoil you lots!"

* * *

"Very well." Ciel concluded their conversation when Pluto's shadow had covered them from a window outside. Sebastian looked up at the Demon Hound whose tongue was out like a dog he is, hands were curled up in fists, as he banged on the window seeming to ask for attention from the Queen's white butler. Ash turns to the sounds Pluto made, glaring at the demon hound when their eyes met.

"Pluto?"

A few seconds later, the hound's excitement faded away, his eyes going round, mouth closed, as though he was shooed away and kicked out. With hurt feelings, Pluto turned around to crawl and leave them be. Ash watched him go before he turned his head towards both Ciel and Sebastian whilst asking, "Who is he?"

With a fake smile, the butler had answered, "Just an employee." As if to look back at the said "employee", the white butler looked at the window yet again. "I see; he seems interesting."

And Sebastian's smile faded, his eyes narrowing in the slightest. Soon after that, Ash was escorted out of the mansion. The Phantomhive butler and master were now discussing the case given to them at hand.

"So, where shall we start?" Ciel questions, taking a seat on his leather chair in his study. Before Sebastian could reply, Amelia walks in and entered with the Young Master's snack: a Victoria Sponge Cake. "Hello, gentlemen." She said with a smile, pushing the tray filled with the delicious food. When she neared her cousin, Ciel did not sneeze, pleasing her since that was a sign that she was able to completely remove the cat fur off of her uniform.

"According to Mister Ash, the monastery is heavily guarded." Sebastian replied to continue the conversation, slicing up the cake before serving it to the young earl. Amelia pours the tea next and brings it to Ciel's desk; who, then speaks, "That would make it difficult to infiltrate it directly."

The two continued with their conversation, not paying attention to the brunette at all. "What's wrong, is there another mission?" the housekeeper asked, her eyebrows scrunched together.

Ciel decided that ignoring her would be useless, and answered nonchalantly, "Yes, it's about a religious society in the outskirts of Preston wherein the leader has some Doomsday Books—as in, Doomsday: the Day of Judgment—and they're planning to go against Her Majesty."

She nodded, interested in the details, making Sebastian continue. "But he also mentioned, a considerable number of coffins have recently been transported into the monastery."

Ciel paused mid-bite, and Amelia looks at him then at the butler. "If it's about coffins... what do you think, Ciel?"

The young earl and his cousin seemed to be reminded of a certain silver grey-haired man, a "weirdo" as they'd call him.

"Coffins, you say?"

* * *

Sebastian opened the Undertaker's shop's door for Ciel, "May I come in?" and instantly, the man's laughter had sounded throughout the place. His back faced them, hands resting on one of the coffins.

" ** _Welcome~_** "

The housekeeper had closed the door behind her whilst Ciel continued to speak. "Undertaker, I have a favour to ask of you." The man slowly turned his head to face them finally, " ** _If that is the case…_** "

Ciel took a step back and the other two servants cringed at the sight of Grell's face, even if they were expecting Undertaker. The Grim Reaper ran for Sebastian with his/her/its arms out for a hug while yelling, "Let my humble being relish in this most excellent romance!"

The demon simply moved out of the way, causing Grell to kiss and crash onto the shop's hard wall. The impact he/she/it made upon contact with said wall, caused one of displayed skulls to wobble and drop on the redhead's head.

"Grell?!"

" ** _Hi, Earl~_** "

The Phantomhive boy turned his head to see Undertaker in a large jar filled to the brim with salt and Grell got up to explain why. "He had the impudence to speak disrespectfully about a Death God, so I pickled him in salt."

But instead of pain or whatnot on Undertaker's face, his smile was as wide as ever, " ** _Oh~ the sensation of moisture slowly leaving the skin~ It is out of this world~!_** "

Amelia wrinkled her nose, "Well, might I say, that is a dangerous pastime, Undertaker."

Ciel only frowned disapprovingly at him then remembered that Grell was also present. "What are _you_ doing here?" Grell only shrugged, "Investigating something on Will's orders. However, I did not find much information, and got hungry and sleepy. Having a restorative afternoon nap in a field of flowers, I somehow ended up being carried here. It could have been a mistake not to breathe while sleeping."

His/Her/Its statement made the housekeeper think, ' _Death Gods... need sleep, unlike demons. So, could that mean that they also have the need to eat? Because Sebastian didn't talk about the Christmas dinner; he'd only flash that annoying smile and remain silent about it._ ' 

"And there I was waiting for a prince to wake me up with a nice, long, _tongue_ kiss." Grell continued, pouting his/her/its lips towards the demon, only making the latter more disgusted at the grim reaper's existence.

"So, Grell, what was the investigation all about then?" Amelia interjected, probably to save Sebastian's skin or possibly, it was the other way around but, at least it made Grell's attention be diverted and back to normal; if that was even a possible, fitting word for such.

"Ah, that? Certain _Cinematic Records_ have been _stolen_  as of late." Grell shrugs, speaking in a bored and annoyed manner. Undertaker's smile turned upside down, Amelia's eyebrow raised and Ciel's head tilted in interest upon hearing it. "Cinematic Records?"

"No need for a brat like you to know about them."

Sebastian answered and explained for his Young Master, "It is a film upon which the memories of a person's life are recorded. A Death God extracts it from a person doomed to die and passes judgment on his life and death after watching it."

Grell flipped his/her/it's hair, "Let me make this very clear: you humans can only see it on the brink of death." Sebastian turned his head once again towards the grim reaper with a little hint of interest. "You said something about them being stolen, correct? They are something that can be stolen?"

"Well, yes. They are kept in the library when not in use. The past of all living things—that is to say, of everything that is doomed to die—all the sins they commit, and how they lived their lives, are carefully recorded in the shape of a book." Grell explains, picking at his/her/its split ends.

"A book created solely for the sake of Doomsday." Ciel commented, pondering over something. "I believe we have heard of something similar; that 'Doomsday', is it not familiar to you as well, Young Master?" The brunette was hinting on about Ash's message from the Queen.

As Ciel understood this, his intentions were now clear. Meanwhile, Undertaker licks the salt around him while the former speaks, "Undertaker, I need you to help me with something."

The man chuckled in response, " ** _If so~ bestow the finest laughs upon—_** " But when he saw Grell glare down at him, he changed his mind. " ** _On second thought, my service will be_ free _this time~_** "

* * *

" ** _I am here to deliver a coffin, as per the order~ Hi~hi~_** "

"A coffin? I didn't hear anything about that." The man wearing the cult's outfit had asked Undertaker, preventing them from entering. " ** _I have it here~ Hn, where is it?~_** " Undertaker began looking through the insides of his outfit, throwing out some weird things probably related to death itself.

The man took a step back, whilst the trio plus Grell emerged from the coffin and went into hiding behind the bushes. "Alright, you may enter." The man had opened the gates and motioned for Undertaker to enter.

"Same goes for the people over there."

The said "people over there" stood up from behind their hiding spot, finding it useless to have done _all_  that, since Sebastian even had a branch on his hand and Grell's hair was filled with dried leaves.

" ** _Well then~ I must be going now~ I have played my part~_** "

"Is that so? Thank you for your trouble!" the man paused, and then raised his hand. "May your soul be purified."

The remaining four walked in silence, a few steps behind the man who led them into the monastery. "Well, that was… too easy; do you not think so as well?" Amelia says in a whisper. "Indeed, infiltration should have been quite difficult."

Two nuns and another man emerged from the side, large baskets on their backs filled with vegetables, the smiles patched on their faces and bowed slightly, in greeting, before going on their way.

"Impeccable smiles aren't they?" it was rather ironic how Ciel had said it with a very evident frown on his face. But Sebastian had his fake smile on. "That is quite instructive for you, Young Master, who forgot how to laugh long ago."

"Do not be ridiculous, those are false smiles."

After a few more walking, they have arrived to what looked like the cult's chapel. Above, there could be seen a stained glass of the mark that branded Ciel when he was enslaved. His large eyes became larger, his mouth opening to form an "o". Sensing what bothered him, Sebastian went closer behind his master and bent so as to bring Ciel back to his senses. " _Young Master_?"

Three little boys came running out from behind a door, and greeted them all a good evening. "Today was a wonderful day again, right?" One of the children says, talking to the other two with him.

Ciel had pulled himself from being distracted and returned to reality. As he looks at the children, so did Sebastian, the housekeeper and Grell. The grim reaper smiled at them, " _Aw_ , they are so cute!"

Amelia was about to agree with him/her/it, until Grell followed up with, "I have no interest in kids, though." The brunette lady had to fight herself from pulling up her sleeves and proceed to land a punch on the Grell.

The three little boys went closer to Grell, and the one with round glasses on spoke, "Good evening, Mister Unclean! You are really dirty through and through!" Taken aback by what the kid said, Grell reacted with a loud, " _What_?!"

"And so, they are not cute anymore…" Amelia mumbled, shaking her head.

Another kid, who had the chubbiest cheeks of the three, spoke, "Did something happen Mister Unclean? Are you feeling unwell?" Unable to contain his/her/it's temper, Grell hit the kid's head. "You _brat_! How _dare_ you call me 'unclean'? Can you not say that in every one of your sentences?!"

Instead of being affected by the punch, or hurt by the words spouted at him, the kid panicked instead, " _Ah_! I was touched by an _Unclean_!" The other two kids followed behind him as he ran away, urging him to be cleansed immediately.

"This is the first time I've seen someone to be more of a clean freak than you, Sebastian." The housekeeper tried lightening the mood, forcing herself to chuckle at it, which didn't really make Sebastian nor Ciel laugh in the slightest. Not even a snicker.

Grell tried to chase the three boys, but he/she/it was paused in his/her/its stride upon hearing the same door open. The reaper looks back, and they all watch as a rather, young-looking nun with pale skin, long auburn hair and big, green eyes came out and approaches them. "After a certain age, all people are considered impure. Judging by your clothes, you are a recent convert."

With a reassuring tone, she smiles at them, "Don't worry, once initiated into the teachings of the Founder, you will be purified."

"Hey, this place—!"

Ciel was cut off by the demon butler's arm going in front of him. "Impure? That is strange to hear." Sebastian's voice became slightly seductive and sweet, more of a purr than actually doing the proper way of speaking. He already put up his act as he walked closer to the nun.

"Such a _beautiful_ lady such as yourself could not be possibly tainted."

At seeing _this_ kind of method firsthand, Amelia's fingers began to twitch. A sudden, sharp pain spread throughout her back. To not attract attention to herself, the lady fought back a wince and instead massaged her shoulders with a hard squeeze. ' _This is getting quite out of hand; w_ _hy won't this pain end? It was doing fine just weeks ago, especially during Christmas. Alright, no matter, you just have to_ _control yourself. You are feeling absolutely nothing right now, but pain... well, physical or emotional? Ugh, is_ that _even a question?!_ ' 

Amelia focuses on her breathing whilst biting the tip of her tongue. She was distracted upon hearing the nun hit the door, as she was backed up against it by the demon butler. The nun had a hand to her chest, already blushing, her cheeks going pink at the close distance between them. Sebastian's eyes sparkled as he spoke, "I know close to nothing about this religious society. Could you please explain it to me in detail?"

"Of course, but then, what are you—!"

Sebastian's hand slams the door on the space right beside the nun's head, surprising her. He inched closer—close enough as if to kiss her—and said as he drew back, "There is, a bug." Indeed there was a small insect on his gloved hand and he blew it away. "You will explain it to me, will you not?" In response, the nun nodded, her whole body tensing and heating up.

The two of them began to leave the chapel. However, Sebastian decided to give one final look at his master. He and Ciel made eye contact, as if they were able to communicate telepathically, but truthfully, they just understood what the other was going to do.

Somehow, in that brief moment, he spares the brunette a glance and instantly regretted it. The demon felt something, like pain from an ant's bite. Although it did him no harm, he had a hunch it was way different for Amelia, _somehow_. ' _Seriously, that should not be the case, right? But... if the mark is nearing its completion..._ ' He turns away and looks ahead, deciding to focus on his task at hand and worry about his "problem" later on.

Once the nun and the butler disappeared from the other trio's sight, the Phantomhive boy turns to Amelia and Grell.

"We are to follow them, and wait for Sebastian's signal. Understood?"


	40. Is it Jealousy?

" _Ah, stop it!~ I'll become unclean! I'll become unclean!_ "

" _Where? In what… way… unclean?_ "

The nun from earlier yelled out in a "weird" way, whilst Sebastian's voice was lower and huskier than usual, as they both did _something_. Meanwhile, the other three really did follow them to where they went and could hear _everything_ from the outside.

Grell was furious as he/she/it was feeling pure and complete jealousy, wishing he/she/it were the nun. The fabulous Grim Reaper groans, " _Ugh_! She is _definitely_ going on my Death List!" The redhead proclaimed, took out a notebook and jot down the ginger nun's name.

Ciel was leaning on a wooden post, his face holding no emotion at all. "So, he can even use _that_ approach." He murmured, before he looked down on his cousin. Amelia was crouched on the ground, with her eyebrows scrunched together, lips upside down on a thin line and a hand massaging her stinging left shoulder, whilst wincing as she tries to ease off the pain.

' _I can't believe Sebastian can actually_ do _this kind of thing… well, he is a demon after all. What should I expect? But it's strange… this feeling of—!_ '

The pain on her back came again, making her gasp at the same time the nun did.

" _Ah~! I can… see it! The Gate to Heaven!~_ "

" _Something_ stinks _, at any rate._ "

Amelia clenched her fists, as if something had clicked inside of her brain and all she knew and wanted was to drag the nun out and away from Sebastian at all costs. The lady's chest was heaving with every ragged breath she took and she suddenly stood up. Ciel raises a brow at the sudden action, about to question her for it; but then the housekeeper briskly walked up the path leading to the cottage's door and slammed it open.

Ah, a classic awkward situation.

However, Amelia didn't mind. ' _Damn that, I've seen way worse than this and it doesn't bother me at all._ '

All she felt was that the pain had spread to her back and probably thought that that was what had pushed her to do such a ridiculous thing that could put the mission at risk. She went up to the scrambling pair, glares at Sebastian before she pries the nun's body away from the demon. After doing so, Amelia turns her attention to the rather surprised and confused Sebastian, who she pushed with unbelievable strength.

His body hits the cottage's wall, causing the lamp to fall from the ceiling and drop on Mathilda Simons' head, rendering her unconscious. Amelia corners him on the wall, raises her arm up and threw a backhanded slap across the butler's face. "You... You monster!" she spits out, about to throw a punch this time. He doesn't know why, but as a first, Sebastian is powerless over her.

Ciel and the Reaper ran to the commotion, and were able to witness it all. The young earl yells before her fist connected with Sebastian's jaw, "Mia, enough! What has gotten into you?!"

Amelia turns to look at him, sweat trickling down parts of her body, her fist left in the air. However, since it was midterms week, The Queen in Black had to do this for fun because she was feeling like shit and just plain... weird. ' _Were they tricked?_ ' she wondered, yet secretly hoped so. And now, the story shall carry on with what truly happened, after this line-break. 

* * *

" _Ah, stop it!~ I'll become unclean! I'll become unclean!_ "

" _Where? In what… way… unclean?_ "

The nun from earlier yelled out in a "weird" way, whilst Sebastian's voice was lower and huskier than usual, as they both did _something_. Meanwhile, the other three really did follow them to where they went and could hear _everything_ from the outside.

Grell was furious as he/she/it was feeling pure and complete jealousy, wishing he/she/it were the nun. The fabulous Grim Reaper groans, " _Ugh_! She is _definitely_ going on my Death list!" The redhead proclaimed, took out a notebook and jot down the ginger nun's name.

Ciel was leaning on a wooden post, his face holding no emotion at all. "So, he can even use _that_ approach." He murmured, before he looked down on his cousin. Amelia was crouched on the ground, with her eyebrows scrunched together, lips upside down on a thin line and a hand massaging her stinging left shoulder, whilst wincing as she tries to ease off the pain.

' _I can't believe Sebastian can actually_ do _this kind of thing… well, he is a demon after all. What should I expect? But it's strange… this feeling of—!'_

The pain on her back came again, making her gasp at the same time the nun did.

" _Ah~! I can… see it! The Gate to Heaven!~_ "

" _Something_ stinks _, at any rate._ "

There were tears brimming in Amelia's eyes, and her hand was clenching too hard on her shoulder that she can feel her own nails dig into the flesh. ' _Shit, that's ought to leave some marks,_ ' The brunette forces herself to stand up and pushes the tears back, before she looks at her cousin. "C-Ciel..."

"H-Hey, what's wrong with you?" Somehow, the young earl was getting a bit worried, because the hurt she was enduring seemed to be real, and to see her suffer from it firsthand, he wonders, ' _Does Sebastian have to do with this or...?_ ' Also, if she wasn't feeling well, their mission could be put to risk if she won't be able to perform well.

" _Hah_ , I... have no idea. But it _hurts_ , too much for my own good. I know I have no injury however... perhaps, from overworking myself?" She pauses, wincing once more, ' _Ah! It fucking stings!_ ' Amelia nearly loses balance and had to lean on the other side of the wooden post. "Take it easy, Mia." Ciel tries, and avoids looking at her. 

Amelia bows her head, apologizing, "If you ever need me, or if you are done with your business here, I will only be... at the Chapel. Don't worry, Ciel. I'm sure this will... end soon; I'll be fine, so," she turns around and begins to limp her way back. The young lad can only watch as Amelia walks away.

Minutes later, the nun and Sebastian were done, giving Ciel and Grell the opportunity to enter the cottage. Soon as they did, the young lad began to ask questions.

"The Doomsday Books of those who live a long life become tainted. The Founder purifies a part of the taint recorded in the Book for us." The nun began explaining, as she caressed her auburn hair. 

All the while, Grell was still furious at her.

"He also says the Doomsday Book contains a record of both the past and the future."

"Oh? The future, he says?"

"Yes, however, the only ones to learn about that are the children chosen for the Heaven's Choir."

Ciel spoke, "Heaven's Choir? Are they singing hymns or something?" The nun was still blushing, probably because of her, shall we say, "steaming hot" encounter with the demon butler as her hands stopped moving through her hair. "The nuances of it are probably, somewhat different from simple singing. They let their beautiful voices be heard from the Founder's _bedroom_."

Right after getting the needed information from the nun, or rather, the extent of what Mathilda knew, the three of them went out and stopped along a hallway near the Chapel.

"As only boys are being chosen for Heaven's Choir, the Young Master is the only one who could get close to the Founder." Sebastian began, and Grell interrupted quickly. "You think so? Entering Heaven's Choir is something even _I_ can do!" the redheaded Reaper said, striking poses at the butler, as he/she/it wore the outfit of one of the members of the Heaven's Choir.

Sebastian and Ciel only became disgusted, probably regretting why they even brought Grell with them or something. "So? Does it suit me?~"

The kid cried as he stood beside Grell in just his underpants. He wails, "No! I'll become unclean!"

When Ciel tried to say something, he was cut short by the sudden singing of a choir that filled their ears. The singing seemed to be coming from the Chapel, and they all looked in that direction.

"Ah, the time of the Founder's Purification Ceremony has come!" the half-naked kid exclaimed, his eyes sparkling and hands clasped together, as though he were forgetting about his clothes.

" _Purification_?"

"As I said, something really stinks." Sebastian murmured, unable to hold his thoughts and tongue. His eyes glances back at a certain window, wherein someone could be seen, though whose face was covered, watching where Sebastian and Ciel currently stood.

The young master looked up at the demon, hearing his words. "Is something the matter?" But what Sebastian said was contradicting to his furrowed eyebrows and sharp eyes.

"Oh, pay me no mind My Lord, it is nothing. I might just have perceived the stench of an apple that has fallen to the ground and rotted through."

* * *

"Young Master, where is Mia?"

"Oh, so you finally ask about her? And you noticed that just now?"

The master and servant conversed as they walked towards the Chapel, just like the others to witness the so-called "Purification". Sebastian frowned in the slightest, trying to find an answer to his master's question. "No, I was simply doing my job."

Ciel rolls his eyes, "She's somewhere in the Chapel. Her back has been acting up and she decided to rest there. Don't tell me, you have something to do with it?" He glares at the demon, who simply looked ahead, his face unreadable.

Upon entering the Chapel, they quickly spotted the housekeeper sitting at the last row. 

But this time, she wasn't alone.

In fact, she was even talking to one of the robed people. And it wasn't a nun nor a child, but a man. And the least they expected was for her to be smiling brightly—genuinely—at the said person.

Ciel walked over to her and tapped his finger on her shoulder. "Mia?"

Both the brunette and the man looked at the young noble, who the butler trailed behind of. Amelia suddenly stood up, as though her back pain didn't exist, startled by their sudden arrival. In respect to them, the man also stands up. "Oh, Ciel, are you... are they done?" She knew it was a dumb question as she can see the butler behind Ciel, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

The young earl nodded and turned to look at the man beside her in silence. It took her a while to understand. "Oh, right! Well," Amelia looks at Ciel then back at her other companion, fiddling with her fingers. "He rarely visited the Phantomhive manor, but when we did, we were always at the garden, or in the drawing room."

' _"We"?_ ' Sebastian's eyes narrowed, as Ciel tries to recall anyone who's had a face like the man's. But due to his younger, frail self, he wasn't really familiar with him. Amelia saw his struggle and sighs, "Ah, nevermind. He just... used to be my fiancè, is all."

If Sebastian were holding anything at the moment, it would have exploded into tiny bits and pieces. And if Sebastian, were holding anything at the moment, it would be his temper. His eyes scanned and scrutinized the poor excuse of a man in one swift motion.

"So, Ciel, Sebastian… _and_ Grell, this is Earl Russel Harvey Spencer."

The noble smiles handsomely at them; he had pale skin similar to Sebastian's, dark red hair and steel gray eyes. Grell met eyes with the man and he/she/its own lime green reaper eyes sparkle. The reaper was in another dimension, probably being a princess rescued by the prince after the long wait.

Harvey reached out to them for a handshake. "Oh, do I remember this young lad! You've grown taller! Nice to meet you all."

Ciel frowns at the mention of his height, meanwhile Sebastian looks at his outstretched hand with a brow raised. "Are you not going to become unclean if we shake your hand, sir?" The demon had spoken and Ciel noticed there was an edge to his voice.

Harvey pulls his hand back with a cool chuckle, "Oh, that's right. So it seems you have been encountering people of those kinds. Pay them no mind, those are too blind and afraid of making friends, probably. They are overdoing the idea of being pure."

Sebastian holds Harvey's gaze, to which the latter breaks, as the choir stops their singing. "Well then, I suggest you four have a seat at the most comfortable spot for you as the Ceremony's about to start."

"Thank you Harvey, but, we'd like to stay here at the back since we don't know anything about this place yet." Amelia answered for them, since she sensed there was something about the butler, her cousin and her ex-fiancè that made the air around them kind of tense. Harvey squeezes her arm and mouths, "I'll see you later," 

"Of course," she whispers, as the lights died down. He lets go of her arm and waved her a short goodbye before he turned on his heel and went forward, somewhere near the front seats and disappeared with the other robed people.

The brunette turned to her companions and made space for them. Grell was at the far-end, seated next to Sebastian. Ciel went between his cousin and the butler.

Amelia asks in a hush tone, "So, what did you get from the nun?" her eyes met Sebastian's wine-red ones and locked gazes with him.

"Ah, so you didn't get to ask your _friend_ about it?" the butler answered her question with another question, emphasizing the word "friend". Amelia scoffs, rolling her eyes, "Of course I was able to. I just have to make sure what he told me was accurate and close to what _you_ got from the _nun_."

"Will the two of you shut up? It looks like it's about to start." Ciel reprimanded them in a harsh whisper, gesturing towards the silent crowd, who were now paying attention towards the walking priest.

Grell only yawned, watching the housekeeper and the demon. He/She/It clung onto Sebastian's right arm. The choir resumed their singing, and everyone had their heads down, with their hands clasped together in prayer. Then, the priest who was wearing a white robe came.

" _Tonight, all sinful uncleanness will be purified here._ " He announced.

Then from the side, there were two people—a man and a woman—who were stripped off of their robes, stark naked, and bore a large symbol on their backs, similar to that of the one on Ciel's back.

The young Phantomhive's eyebrows furrowed at the sight.

The two people knelt down in front of the priest with their backs still facing the crowd. While doing so, another robed person carrying two thick books, handed them to the priest.

"Are those Cinematic Records?" the demon asked the reaper, seeming to not mind how clingy Grell was. The redhead only whined, before clutching his arm tighter. "We're too far away to be sure."

" _Let_ _us read from the_ Doomsday Books _of these_ impure, _stray,_ _children_."

The priest opened the first book, " _Jill Peasant, born the second daughter of a farmer,_ _fell_ pregnant _at_ _the age of_ 15." As he said this, Jill was quivering, her body shaking as she burst out in tears.

" _Thomas Atkins; though he hasn't committed any noticeable evildoings, he let the years pass_ meaninglessly, _and this is a_ grave sin."

Thomas and Jill were now both crying and shaking from hearing their own sins being broadcasted to the rest of the cult. Moments later, their bodies began to emanate a black glow. The middle stain glass began to glow as well, which showed Jill's and Thomas' "sins".

"Are those… what I think they are?" Amelia whispered.

" _Get rid of the_ _ **immoral**_ _! Get rid of the_ _ **useless**_ _! Get rid of the_ _ **barren**_ _! Get rid of the_ _ **unclean**_ _!_ "

The stain glass shatters, and the screams of the two people undergoing purification could be heard. The glow and brightness faded, so did the music. But there were no traces of shattered glass anywhere, not even a crack on the middle stain glass.

" _Well, now, there is_ no impurity _on this platform. What shall we do with those washed_ clean _?_ "

The people began exclaiming in tears as both Jill and Thomas got their robes back and were brought to another room, probably to give them clothes.

" _Founder!_ "

" _Thank God!_ "

* * *

"So, how did you find that Ceremony? Is it nothing like you've ever witnessed before?" Harvey asked, soon as he is reunited with the dynamic trio and Grell. The rest of the crowd have long dispersed soon as the Founder left.

The four were silent and only stared at him. He then had a tight-lip smile on his lips, clasping his hands together. "Well, since you're new here, I understand it might all be a bit shocking. Trust me, even _I_ wanted out before I really understood the Founder's ways." He chuckled, then focuses on the brunette.

"Dorothea, how's your back?"

Amelia blushes at the name, and hits his arm involuntarily. Harvey touches where he was hit, "Ah, you've gotten stronger over the years!" 

"I'm Mia, not Dorothea."

"Well, it doesn't matter, now does it? As long as it truly is you." 

The housekeeper doesn't look amused, crossing her arms by her chest. "Alright, enough with that before I chop your head off."

During their whole scene, Sebastian had his eyes narrowed, _'How very pathetic. Then again, am I not as well? Must I tell her...?_ ' He wanted to open his mouth to speak but three nuns interrupted him, and were calling for Ciel.

"Ah! You are still here! Heaven's grace has been bestowed upon you!"


	41. Discovery

Sebastian holds his tongue, just as they all turned to the approaching nuns. Amelia's brows furrow in confusion, "Just _what_ was bestowed to whom?" 

The only one who looked delighted at the sudden news was Harvey, as he had his hands clasped tightly in excitement. He spoke, in a way as though he were some proud elder brother of Ciel, "That is great news, young lad! You should be happy, for such an occurrence is but a rare gift, a blessing, I say."

The three nuns stepped closer to the group and when they saw that Harvey was there, they somehow blushed. "E-Earl Harvey, pleasant evening t-to you." One of the nuns said in a small voice, fidgeting with their robe. The grey-eyed man only smiled at them and bowed his head slightly, before he raises a hand towards Ciel, "So, you three are in charge of cleansing him?"

A brunette nun answered, "Yes, as well as cleansing the lady he came with. It is time for the two of them to be cleansed." This nun was obviously referring to Amelia; who, in response, pointed a finger at herself in question, with an arched brow raised, "But, why _me_ as well?"

" _Dear_ , it is because you _are_ the only lady around here who is not yet cleansed." Harvey answered, offering his hand to the housekeeper, signaling for them to begin heading to the bath. Sebastian's perfect midnight brow perked up at the action the redheaded earl made, "Is it not the women's job to do that?"

Harvey stops momentarily, to spare the butler a smug look, "Why of course, I am in no position to bathe a respectable lady as Dorothea," Amelia glares again at the use of her fake name and Harvey coughs once, "Ah, right. I meant, Mia. I certainly know my boundaries with her to be aware that even though _we_ were supposed to be wed to each other, I absolutely have no right to do anything so improper."

Sebastian and Harvey began to have a glaring contest, which the brunette housekeeper had to put to an end. She scoffs at the earl's statement, "Of _course_ you do not. Nor, does anybody have. And what nonsense are you spouting? Is it not true that the reason for our engagement to be broken, was all because of _you_? Why now, must you make it seem like you regret us not being together; or possibly, married?"

Sebastian clenches his fist, Harvey's smugness falters for a moment, and Amelia only looked firm, standing her ground. Ciel remained silent, same goes for the redheaded Reaper who actually yawns at the previous three's exchange. The nuns were also, most likely, shocked, clueless and confused.

Harvey runs a hand through his hair, "Darling, _please_ , I thought we've—!"

"Oh no, do not _ever_ refer to me as darling, dear, sweetheart, _love_ —all those names, those petty titles you give to your women. I have a _proper_ name you can call me with; and is it not enough that we are now, simply just acquaintances? Because that is all I can offer. Let us stop bringing up the past, for that story has ended quite a time ago." Amelia lets out a sigh, probably fed up of this side of his attitude. ' _It's so evident how he was or still is a friend of the Viscount of Druitt... really, why did I even fall for him before? Stupid emotions, inexperienced heart._ ' 

Silence took over the group, and Grell whistled once, adding more to the awkwardness that befell the shamed earl. One of the nuns decided to break it, now speaking in urgency. "So... we must get going now," she nods towards Ciel and Amelia. Harvey recollects himself, and it is quite impressive how he was able to maintain his composure despite being publicly roasted by his ex-fiancée.

He directs the two other nuns, "Very well, you two shall come with her, and the boy shall be accompanied by you," Harvey pauses while he pointed his finger harshly at Sebastian, as though he were some dog. He then gestures to the other nun who seemed to be blushing harder now as she expected what Harvey would say, "And this woman here. If everything is clear with everyone, then we best be going."

"Well, don't mind me. I'll just stay here and wait~" Grell finally spoke after being so silent, flipping his/her/its hair. The reaper sighs, thinking, ' _Ah, even Sebas_ -chan _can throw a jealous fit~ And the pathetic human girl is totally wasting her… her_ everything _! How stupid._ '

Grell watched them go, as Harvey led the group and the dynamic trio was separated from each other.

* * *

Everyone thought that Harvey had left to wait for the trio's return. However, the redheaded earl had other plans and decided to go to the women's bath. ' _Ah, Harvey, you're a stupid prick. Why'd you let that pearl go and went for a low-quality stone?_ ' He was reminiscing the days of their youth with a tinge of regret, and if only he nor his parents never found out about Amelia's true identity, then he wouldn't be in that cult to pass the time, and he'd have such a wife to bear him children, bear him heirs.

So now, it's come to this. Harvey couldn't quite put a finger on it, whether he was just feeling lust or he truly misses the brunette lady, but he just can't stop his pacing towards the entrance to the lady's bath. He made sure not to make a sound with every step he took.

The nuns actually left the door hanging ajar in the slightest bit, and during that time, the nuns were trying to undress Amelia.

Harvey felt his lips tug up in a delightful smile at such an opportunity. He bent slightly, getting a full clear view of what was currently happening inside the room.

"N-No, please, I told you I can take care of myself." Amelia declares shyly, trying so hard to change the minds of the nuns, whilst still clutching onto her uniform. 

"Ah, but we are already cleansed. Also, it is our duty to cleanse you as well, for you to be part of us." One of the nuns said to the brunette, still patient and even reassuring. The one with ginger hair had thought of something to finally end their struggle; so, she pushed Amelia into the empty tub.

The housekeeper landed on her bottom, and winced in pain at her contact with it. Taking this time as an opportunity to strip Amelia off her clothes, the blonde nun knew what she had to do and tore the housekeeper's dress apart, making the buttons fly everywhere as she did. The lady was shocked with what the nun did and quickly stood up with her back facing the door. The fabric of what was left of her uniform, fell off her body. The only thing slightly covering her up would be the corset and the almost see-through dress she wore underneath for undergarments.

"What the _hell_ was that for?!" 

"Pardon us, but we simply have no more time to waste." the blonde nun stood behind Amelia and continued with her actions, blocking Harvey's line of sight; and this time, she tells the ginger nun to give her scissors to cut through the laces of the brunette's corset. Amelia only sighs in defeat, and lets the nuns have their way with her. Her face and neck had a bit of tint, blushing from embarrassment at having to go naked before complete strangers. 

And before someone that is not-so-much of a stranger, who was greedily peeping from the outside.

Soon as Amelia was now fully unclothed, Harvey's grey eyes widened. Not because of his member slightly hardening at the sight of a naked lady, but more because of the large, dark mark on the said lady's back. ' _No... that's impossible, right? How could such... I_ must _be seeing things,_ ' he shakes his head and rubs his eyes, but as he reopens them, from the inside, even the nuns were quite surprised with seeing such peculiar, wing-looking symbol on Amelia's back. 

The ginger nun hums, "You have a nice… tattoo on your back, miss."

The brunette housekeeper turned her head to look at the nun on her right, and Harvey quickly sidestepped, hiding himself for the fear of Amelia getting a glimpse of his presence. What makes him more nervous was her next statement, "I cannot possibly have a tattoo. _What_ are you talking about?"

The nuns only remained silent, noticing the blush the brunette had on her cheeks and the slight impatience on her voice. Thus, the nuns decided to let the subject go, and proceeded with bathing the lady.

Outside, Harvey was leaning on the wall, but he slides down, with a hand covering his agape mouth. _'She's unaware of it?! That... I... I must tell—_ no _—warn her. Her life, her_ soul _is at stake; and perhaps, I could win her back._ '

Simultaneously, in the male's bath, Ciel, Sebastian and the other, black-haired nun were welcomed with two other nuns, who seemed to have been waiting for the young earl's arrival. Just like his cousin, the Phantomhive lad wouldn't let them undress him, let alone touch his skin. 

"It's fine. I can do it myself, alright?" Ciel tried to pull himself free from the nuns' grasps.

"You can't! Being chosen for Heaven's Choir means you must be cleansed down to your fingernails!"

The one holding Ciel's right arm, whose hair was in a side braid and cheeks that bore freckles, let go of him and rubbed her cheek along his now, exposed arm, as his undershirt became undone, about until his chest. She sighs in ecstasy, "Such impeccable skin!"

The boy's face was horror-stricken as he froze on the spot. Using this opportunity, Ciel jumped back and held his loose top closer to his form, trying to cover his exposed skin. He shrieked, "Don't _touch_ me!"

The one without freckles and had smaller eyes than the other answered, "No worries, for we have already been cleansed."

"That's not the—!"

"I beg your pardon, but I suppose you can leave the rest to me."

Sebastian cut off what his master was supposed to say and stepped closer towards the rather, rowdy group, with his gloved hand to his chest.

"But that won't do, for you yourself, are still unclean." the small-eyed nun rejects the demon's request. Once again, the demon butler used his "demonic charms" on the women and said, "You think that _I_ am _unclean_?" Sebastian's red eyes had a certain glimmer in them, his lips slightly pouted as he tilted his head, feigning hurt, as though he were offended.

And the expected results instantly came after that.

Ciel's face deadpanned as the nuns had their hands on their heated faces and eyes sparkling like the stars.

"Maybe… y-you are not."

"N-No, of course not."

* * *

"So, it may seem that you have found the object of your jealousy?" Ciel began, whilst Sebastian was wringing the white cloth. The demon froze for a second due to his master's intruding question.

"Excuse me, Young Master?"

Ciel's exposed eyes rolled a complete turn. "And here I thought you said, that you are incapable of human emotions. Now that Mia's previous lover is here, who knows, he might just steal her away, promise or give her a good life once this case is over and done with." At the end of his triggering statement, a resonating crack was heard between them. 

Sebastian had gripped on the rim of the tub a little too hard, that a few bits and pieces fell to the floor, and a crack line was visible from that point to the bottom. 

The demon exasperatedly sighs, trying to control his temper. "Young Master, pardon my plea, but please do refrain from saying such unfavorable ideas." The butler began to wipe Ciel's back after brushing off some debris from his gloves, while the latter speaks, "You are obviously jealous, it's radiating off your skin, Sebastian. And no, do not deny it when it is already laid out for us all to see." 

The raven-haired being grit his teeth, where some had turned into fangs, and takes in some air in an attempt to calm himself further. Sebastian only smirks mockingly, "You do know that I have my mark on her. And a mere, lowly human to steal what is already determined as  _mine_? He's as good as dead, My Lord. Also, when the time comes, the mark on her back shall reach its completion and Amelia will be mine and mine _alone_." At the end of his sentence, his voice went so deep, and had a hint of a low rumbling of a growl.

Ciel spares him a glance, then felt a shiver run down his spine at the menacing look on his butler's face to match the tone of his voice. Even hints of his true form were slipping by, the edges of his shoulders blurring. ' _Sebastian... was never like that, even when he talks about the contract or my soul when in danger; this is on a different scale,_ '

"Ah, I better hurry up; you must be feeling cold," Sebastian pauses, feeling the earl's shiver. Then Ciel asks him, "Does she know of your actions?" 

"Unless you told her so," 

"What you feel for or do to my cousin is none of my business, especially with such matters that are trivial."

Sebastian seems pleased, "Then, I am quite grateful to you, for you haven't explained it to her. Ah, it must have indeed, been painful on her part," The young earl raises a brow, curious still. "I'll ask you this again: her, being in pain all this time, you and your mark had something to do with it, correct?"

"...perhaps; I know she should frequently feel some pain, but certainly not to that extent. I am as well, trying to remember how the whole... _ordeal_ goes, My Lord."

"Whichever it is, just do what you must to stop it from occurring too often. Missions could become at stake, if she tags along with us and your ministrations caused her to feel that way." 

"Understood."

The blue-eyed boy smirked, now intent on teasing his butler further. "Nevertheless, try keeping your jealousy and possessiveness at bay. At least Mia's not the one doing the _things_ here; she has the right to be angry, more than you do... _if_ she is aware of your situation. But if Mia doesn't even have the faintest clue about that 'soul-mate' thing existing, it could be different, her feelings could be different."

The butler retrieves a small sponge, his voice low as he speaks, "Please do tell me exactly what you are trying to say." He had little to no emotion, and Ciel could see that from the corner of his eye. ' _Seriously? Just like a petty young man, he cannot even confess his... "feelings"? No matter, as long as the mission will be accomplished: this is my utmost priority as of now._ '  

Ciel cleared his throat, "What I meant to say is that, Harvey seems to hold some position of authority around here and it is best not to go against him."

Sebastian nods once, "You are right, I noticed that as well. Though I loathe his presence, it would truly seem that he is a better source of information, and perhaps also knows the darker side of this cult." He dips the sponge in soapy water and squeezes. "Ah, the Doomsday Books used in the ceremony were fake. However, that doesn't change the fact that it possesses some strange power." the butler informs the little earl, steering to a different topic. 

Both were silent, and Sebastian continues to bathe his master. The butler was almost done, until Ciel talks once more. 

" _Unclean_."

Ciel murmured, "That's what the puppet from before told me—and even Mia—so I'm quite certain that she too, is concerned about it. Asides from that, there is also this," he raised his arm slightly to reveal the mark on his back that he got from the cult. "This symbol that brought me down to hell, it's the only thread—a spider's thread—I have left to cling on to."

"Do you really believe that you can escape hell by taking hold of such?"

"No, I won't escape for when I seize that thread I will drag them to Hell with me."

Sebastian smirked in pleasure, "Ah, how very much like _my_ master."

"I only expect you to say one thing in such a situation." Ciel turned his head slightly to give him a glare.

" _Yes, My Lord_."

* * *

The nuns left Amelia a new set of clothes, along with the robes that the cult members wore. She brushed off the nuns' words, regarding a "tattoo" on her back and thought them crazy and that they were probably just seeing things.

Once she was done changing, she simply held onto the robes, not wanting to fully immerse herself into the act, and was just against wearing the piece of clothing. The nuns had already gone, and she was alone now as she walked out of the bath. The brunette thought of reuniting with Grell, who, hopefully was still in the chapel waiting for their return.

Amelia went on her way, her heels the only sound through the hallway. Until, someone slammed her back against the wall, holding her by the shoulders.

"H-Harvey?! Let go of me, what are you doing?!" The housekeeper tries to shake him off, about to head-butt him. However, the redheaded earl raises a finger to the tips of her lips and shushed her. "What do you want?" She tries reading him for any clue, any hint of this sudden "attack" on her. 

They stare at each other intently for a while, and Harvey lets his hands slide down her arms with a sigh. He steps back and bows his head a bit, "Goodness me, I... Mia... I apologize for my behavior."

She dusts herself off, looking at Harvey strangely and in disbelief. The earl was looking down on his feet, as though he were avoiding her gaze. 

"...I won't let it pass until you answer my previous question," 

Harvey runs a hand through his hair, consequently making the hood of his robe to fall back. Only then, does he look again at Amelia. "Y-Your back… what happened to your back? Your… your tattoo…"

Amelia gasps at his knowledge of such, ' _Did he peek? No, Harvey_ must _be better than a mere Peeping Tom!_ ' she frowns slightly, "How on earth did you even know about that?!" Harvey was somehow, tongue-tied, and he knew that if he didn't say anything sooner, he would be found out that he did what he was suspected of doing.

"A-Ah! The... the nuns! They told me about it." He lets out a sigh of relief once she sees her eyes slowly soften. "Really, now, they did? Well, it cannot be helped. What else did they... tell you?" 

They both began to trudge on, albeit slowly, taking their time whilst discussing. "They said it looked quite peculiar, and seemed strange for you not to know about it," Harvey paused, assessing her reaction before he took a deep breath; then continued nice and slowly. "Have you been feeling different lately? Do you experience unusual pains, strengths or any of those kinds of instances? Or perhaps… encountering evil forces?"

Amelia's eyes widened but she tried and countered it with looking at the walls around her, making it look like she was thinking of an answer. She fakes a smirk, "So, you plan to become a doctor, then?"

" _Thea_." His tone was firm, serious, and the brunette knew that so well. 

"No, as far as I know. Why, is there a problem? Is there something which I should be worried about? The nuns surely described it to you, did they not?"

Harvey sighed. "The nuns… weren't able to describe it to me in much detail but, they said it was pitch black, an outline of something like wings of the sort, which ran throughout your whole back. Near the tips, by your shoulders, were a dark, bloody red hue. The tattoo had a slight feathery feel to it as well."

The housekeeper hums, "Does it?"

This time, it was Harvey's turn to look at her disbelievingly. "You're not an ounce bit worried? Have you not seen it nor felt it, even?"

Amelia shakes her head for an answer.

"Fine, if you still think this as trivial, that so-called 'tattoo' is proof of a demon's  _touch_ or a demon's _claim_ on a person's being: both body and soul; it is their _mark_." 

Amelia seems stunned, and her mouth hung agape. In her whole life, there was only one possible demon in mind. 

One demon that she has ever consciously encountered. No matter what, the brunette couldn't stop her mind from wandering the images of a raven-haired butler, clad in all black, with piercing red eyes and playful lips that have had her heart fluttering lately, more often than she wanted; those same lips that have tenderly touched hers—it was none other than "Sebastian Michaelis".

"He" does not lie, he made that absolute. 

And Harvey... he, who played with her heart, would she really believe anything he'd just said?

Amelia imagined herself confronting the demon which she swore she was not afraid of and fought a cringe. ' _That's more than embarrassing. Perhaps these people are just seeing things after being so invested into this cult._ '

The housekeeper scratches behind her head, "W-Well, quite... creative they are, indeed. For all we know, it could be just… a bruise or something. I've been clumsier lately and it annoys me so."

Harvey scoffs, ' _She thinks_ I _'m an absolute lunatic! I simply worry about her and this is how she reacts to it,_ ' He tries to be patient, yet speaks with some urgency, "Then, a winged-shape, red-black  _bruise_? Is that not strange for—!"

"Mia!"

The two's conversation was cut short by Ciel calling for the brunette, whom Sebastian was following behind. Had somebody lit a candle, one would notice the faint glow of his glaring eyes that were directed at the redheaded earl.

Harvey fakes a smile, the corner of his lips quivering. "A-Ah, well, it is time. I shall take you to the Founder. Follow me, Ciel." His eyes met with Ciel's exposed one before they rose to meet with Sebastian's. The human flinched a bit and ends up quickly looking away from the butler, and instead raises his right brow whilst looking at Amelia for one last time. "We'll be leaving you two for the mean time; until then, make yourselves comfortable around here."

"We're not allowed to come?" The brunette asks, but Harvey doesn't answer. He nods to Ciel then turned on his heel and walked away with the young lad. 

The two servants watched the two earls disappear from their sight, and only then did they begin their trip towards the chapel, where the reaper said he/she/it would wait. 

Amelia steals glances at the butler, with Harvey's words in mind. 

"What were you two talking about?" 

Sebastian asks her bluntly, yet doesn't look at her as they approach the chapel area. Grell was ultimately ignored by them both, and delved into a rather, serious discussion, sitting beside each other. 

"He seemed too serious about it," Amelia began, intent on telling more truths than lies; willing to draw any flaw in his facade. She twirls a strand of her hair, "Apparently, the nuns who gave me the cleansing told Harvey I had this 'tattoo'-looking thing on the whole of my back."

Sebastian raises a brow, a sign for her to continue. The demon would have told her to shut it if it had nothing to do with the mission.

But this was involving _him_ and _her_.

"Then, he asks me if I've had any instances of pain or basically anything out of the ordinary,"

"So, have you? I am aware of your shoulder pains that you frequently complain about."

"Well, perhaps there is one thing. However, it was Frances Midford who pointed it out." The two of them met eyes then, each watching the other's reaction. "She said that my movements were  _'_ _too quick they were a blur_ ' though for me, it seemed and felt normal." She sighs, finally getting to the point.

"That 'tattoo', the pains, and that weird spark of speed—is it possible that they are brought on by some supernatural being? That is, as what Harvey said, a ' _demon's mark_ '?"

Sebastian internally smirks, ' _That bastard is smarter than I thought, getting ahead of_ me _, and trying so hard to_ scare her away _. Amelia is more than that._ ' On the outside, his face is neutral.

He hears her voice, "Sebastian?"

The butler only sighs, and offers her a smile that's halfway coy and sly. "I shall leave the answer to that, to you,  _my lady_. As for now," his eyes dart back towards where he presumed the Founder and Ciel were at.

" _Somebody_ is calling for me."

* * *

"I brought him with me, Founder."

" _You may leave now._ "

Harvey and two other robed people that had accompanied them on the way, bowed their heads together and did what they were told. Once they were alone, the Founder seemed to be looking at Ciel, even if his eyes were covered by the big hood he wore.

" _How lovely you've become, Ciel. This way_ ," the Founder paused and told the Phantomhive earl to follow him near the altar, which looks like a fancy table. On it, something resembling a Doomsday Book laid in silence.

"It is a great honor to have been chosen by the Founder himself." Ciel began his nearly low-quality, stilted acting. The priest had said nothing until he slowly raised his hand and held Ciel's shoulder. " _Let me read from the Book for you._ "

"Founder, speaking of this Doomsday Book—?"

" _Let me read you a book… until you fall asleep._   _Tonight is **special**_ _._ "

Ciel's exposed eye widened and he gasped, flinching at hearing the familiar words. It triggered a memory to replay itself in his mind.  _"Mother said she would read me a book today and let me sleep in her bed. And then…"_  He reminisces, with the picture of himself hugging Rachel tight with what his little arms could afford. 

_"I will read you a book until you fall asleep. After all, it is your birthday and tonight is special."_ Rachel's endearing, motherly voice echoed through Ciel's thoughts.

' _What's this…!?_ '

The Founder's hand reached out to ruffle the young earl's hair, and the action was similar to the way Vincent always did to him when he was but a child. And that was what Ciel was currently thinking. ' _This…_ hand _…_ '

" _Let us erase it, then._ " This time, it was the Founder that had spoken. Ciel returned to his senses with a small gasp, and shoved the priest's hand away from him.

However, hearing a rather, feminine voice throughout the place made Ciel step back further from the Founder. " _Let us erase the sin you have personally given birth to; let us cleanse it, right here and now._ "

Ciel looked up at the circular stain glass that contained the dreaded symbol that he also had on his back, as it bore a certain kind of glow. This distracted the young earl and the Founder suddenly took this as a chance for him to strangle Ciel. The blue-eyed boy remembers images from the Phantomhive fire of three years ago, and he has a determined thought:

' _This is…_ not _how it should be!_ '

Ciel yells, "Sebastian, this is an order: kill him! _Kill the Founder_!"

"Yes, My Lord."

The glass windows shattered and in came the butler with the Reaper jumping in from behind him. At the same time, Amelia entered running as she slammed the double doors open.

As the brunette ran, Sebastian had taken a shard of the glass window and he threw it, aiming for the Founder's forehead. The white-robed man flew back with the said glass to his head, the blood spluttering and pooling around him, then landed on the floor.

Ciel's back was unguarded, and a robed person attempts to make a run for the young man. But Sebastian was still quicker, throwing yet another shard that would hit the person straight to the chest.

However, instead of blood, the robes and cloak got torn into pieces and transformed into pure, white feathers.

"As I expected, you were behind this." Sebastian carried a frown on his face as he looked up at the person—rather, the angel—who planned all that is happening. Amelia clenched her fists at the unwanted sight of Henry Barrymore's maid.

"Angela?! She's an _angel_?! That's preposterous! She's more of a bitch than an angel, to be honest!" Outraged, she couldn't hold herself from speaking in a slightly vulgar language.

"W-Wait a minute, what is an angel doing in this world?!" Even Grell took this as quite a surprise.

Angela only smirked down at them, flying through the air and got down to grab the unprotected Phantomhive earl and brought out a Doomsday Book with one hand.

"Ciel!"

"Young Master!"

"There! _That's_ a real Cinematic Record!"

Using the power of the said book, Angela wielded it, making the reels emerge from the said book so as to trap the female human, the demon and the reaper.

"Grell, use your Death Scythe!"

"Don't be so hasty, I'm already on it!"

But instead of the usual, noisy scythe he/she/it always brought, Grell was using nothing but, " _Scissors_?! Just what on earth happened to your original scythe?!" Amelia shrieked.

"There's nothing I can do about it. My Death Scythe was confiscated by Will the other day!"

The housekeeper glared at the redhead and rolled her eyes. Yet she immediately looked up at the angel carrying her cousin, turning her attention to Angela when the angel spoke. " _Let all the light and the darkness of your past be revealed._ "

Ciel screamed as he was brought with Angela through a blinding, white glow. Luckily, Grell had found a way to cut all the reels at once.

"Mia, stay here." Sebastian tells her, then looks ahead at his captured master and its captor, "I am coming, Young Master."

"B-But—!"

The demon and reaper had leaped in through the portal and left the human lady alone in the now dark, Founder's special quarters, which just literally looked like the chapel.

The brunette stalks her way towards the corpse of the Founder and knelt by it to confirm the kill. "The glass breaking would stir a commotion, thus, there will be followers who'd arrive in a few minutes' time." She sighs and gets up, massaging her face.

"Alright, Mia. Let's do what you are great at doing: playing pretend."

 


	42. Rather Be

Amelia took a deep breath, still with the assumption that the members of the convent would have heard all the noise and would sooner or later be rushing towards her current location.

And apparently, she assumed correctly.

For when the doors were slammed open, Harvey came running in, his robes still in a bit of disorient from the haste he's put himself into. The earl instantly took notice of the only brunette present in the scene, whose head was now hung low, seeming to look at something.

When he reached closer, it seemed that she was rather, looking at _someone_.

"Amelia, is that you? What's wrong? What happened here?"

The lady only responded with a point of her shaky finger towards the bloody corpse of the Founder and she turned her head slowly towards Harvey, feigning the look of fear in her eyes. "Th-the Founder… has been  _killed_." She said the last word softly and fake tears streamed down her face.

"I-It all happened too quickly; I was with Sebastian at the time," then she hiccups, "He heard Ciel scream, and then something broke; and we—" she gasps for air and continues to cry, sniffing whilst trying to wipe the tears away. Ah yes, Amelia was a  _great_  actress.

It was a good thing that everyone else was still sleeping, or else panic would have ensued. Harvey tried to become intimate, pulling the housekeeper close to his form, to have her cry it all out while he holds her in his embrace. Amelia decides to play along with this gesture, immediately rolling her eyes as she buries her face into his well-toned chest, taking deep breaths, making it seem like she was going to calm down. The redhead guides them both to sit, as he caressed the middle of her back, hushing her with sweet words and reassurances. When she was done, and possibly fed up, she turned to Harvey with curiosity plastered on her face; as though she never really felt any sorrow nor fear in the first place.

"What about you? What made you come here at this late hour? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Harvey scratches the back of his head, "Well, you do know I have a hard time in getting to sleep. After a bunch of tosses and turns, I decided to take a walk outside, while thinking of… a few things. Then, I heard some commotion coming from the chapel so I went here."

Amelia shrugs, not really caring for his reason. "Anyway, how much time do you suppose we have left, before the rest of this ' _religious_   _group_ ' wakes up? We have to think of a proper alibi." she glances back at the cold corpse on the floor, then at the broken glass windows above. She sighs exasperatedly, "I never knew angels could be so… insane."

Harvey froze in his seat with his eyes wide and mouth slightly hung agape. "What do you mean…  _angel_?" Amelia holds her tongue, and remembers their previous conversation about his knowledge of the existence of demons. She had no choice but to explain what she knew, "I mean, she... her name's Angela Blanc. We encountered her back at Houndsworth Village, and she used to work for the head of that small town. She was  _too nice_ , too  _pure_  for her own good." The brunette crosses her arms above her chest, "Her being an angel could probably explain that but... it all just seems so outrageous."

Harvey gulps, "How did you  _know_?"

Amelia tried not to look surprised at his sudden revelation of his own, pre-acquired knowledge. The housekeeper narrowed her eyes and stood up from her seat. She began walking to the corpse she was "afraid" of going near to a few moments ago and faced Harvey, signaling for him to help her clean up.

"Less talk, more work; now come help me tidy things up before we discuss about that."

* * *

Wherever Ciel was right now, he didn't know. But somehow, he was probably aware that he was floating in some kind of dark void, wherein the fog around him made the place seem to have some light in it.

_"Ciel… Ciel… 'Ciel' Phantomhive."_

The serene voice of the angel rang through the young earl's ears, making him open his eyes slightly. As he took in his surroundings, he noticed there were floating reels from the Cinematic Records which radiated, giving light to the place.

_"This is your past. Even though some moments were bright, there are also those of impenetrable darkness."_ Angela explained to the young boy, who then, raised his arm to reach out for a nearby reel that contained a part of his memory.  _"I see, so… this is the past you are going to choose."_

As his little hand made contact with a piece of his memory, a blinding light emitted from it. Ciel closed his eyes as though the reel was taking him in. The next thing he saw with his eyes open was probably the worst day of his life.

Flames; a crimson hue, contrasting that of the December night's pitch black sky, with ashen smoke replacing the stars and the fog. It engulfed the Phantomhive mansion and all who inhabit it.

Ciel gasped, exposed eye wider than usual as he saw two familiar figures sprawled out in a bloody mess on the floor. Beside them would be their trusty pet dog, Sebastian; and all of them lied unconscious, eyes wide open.

"Father! Mother!"

The little Phantomhive was about to run towards his parents, but stopped in his tracks when a new figure came into view. Angela floated above the Phantomhive couple's corpses, smiling serenely at them and at Ciel, with a face so unreadable. The young earl narrowed his eyes at the angel, taking a tentative step forward. However, Angela raised her arms and flapped her wings strongly, creating a strong gush of wind and feathers around them. 

Ciel covered himself briefly, to prevent being slapped with the feathers. He even got a small cut on the edge of his wrist from one of it that flew too harshly in his direction. As he reopened his eyes, he gasps, at the monster the angel had created before him.

Angela had patched up pieces of Rachel's face onto Vincent's own. However, instead of either parents' bodies, that head was stitched onto a smaller figure's body, resembling Ciel's frame, sporting a tattered and unbuttoned white dresshirt, showing its abdomen that was brutally cut open. 

Ciel couldn't help but puke at the hideous sight before him, a hand desperately trying to hold his vomit inside but to no avail. He was being reminded of what happened, and what his own little hands had done to _that_ certain body on  _that day_. Angela was still smiling, her hands dripping in blood as she caressed the doll she created for tormenting the young earl.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Grell appeared on a white bridge. The demon butler turned around, scanning the area for any sights of Ciel.

"Where is the Young Master?"

Grell turned to face Sebastian but instead took a step back and shrieked, "Is this not the Library of the Death Gods?! This is the place where the Cinematic Records are kept." A large, white building stood off in the distance and it could be the very description of the library the reaper had mentioned. Immediately, Sebastian rushed towards it with Grell following  him from behind.

When they arrived, Sebastian opened one of the purplish double doors and after a second, the clipper at the edge of William's pruner almost hit the demon right in the face. But of course, Sebastian was no human and knew well to avoid that reaper's tool. And because Sebastian was able to avoid it, the clipper nearly hit Grell in his/her/its face, but he/she/it bent backwards.

The redheaded reaper was able to prevent his/her/its face from being cut; except for a few strands of his/her/its bangs and his avoidance caused him/her/it to almost fall over. "H-Hey! That's dangerous, watch it! My _face_!"

The garden tool reverted to its original length, back towards its owner. "I was just wondering about that offensive stench," he paused. Then, using the other end of his pruner, William pushed his glasses upwards, "Surely enough, I was correct to surmise that it was  _you_." Sebastian's face became reflected on the Death God's glasses.

"W-Will…!" 

"For a demon to break in our domain—?"

"Wait, Will, we just followed your order to return the Doomsday Book." Grell tried to explain, but William's eyebrows furrowed and his eyes closed with a vexed sigh. "Seriously, for a Death God to  _personally_  invite a vermin…" William's displeased face turned to the redheaded reaper. "Grell Sutcliffe, it seems to me that you desire further  _demotion_."

Grell took a step back, shocked by the statement and even frightened as he/she/it pulled out the safety scissors the redhead used previously for his/her/its death scythe. "What... will become of me this time?"

Sebastian decided to waste no more time and changed the topic, tiring of the current conversation that would lead to nothing, and even lead to him losing his precious meal. "Exterminating vermin surely is an important task, I do quite agree. However, is it reasonable to leave the presence of a stray mite unattended?"

William's eyes widened as he gasped slightly, which was quickly replaced with a frown when realization hit him. He looked back at the doors behind him and muttered, "An angel." The demon nodded, confirming the presence of another supernatural being in the reaper's realm. The black-haired, strict reaper used his scythe again, to push his glasses up, "It would seem that you will not be able to return just yet. As for me, this is another cause of over time."

* * *

Ciel winced, as he opened his eyes, raising a hand to his throbbing head. He slowly sat up on the couch he's been lying on and took notice of the large number of floors filled with bookshelves. His eyes were wide and filled with confusion until Angela's voice caught his attention. "Have you woken up?"

The young lad's head abruptly turned to the insane angel with another gasp. He removes the surprised look on his face with a deep frown, "So, it was your doing,  _Angela Blanc_." The way her name left his lips was heavily coated in all the hate and venom a thirteen year old like him could muster. Nonetheless, the sky-haired female angel remained smiling at him, unaffected.

"How did touching the past feel?" her voice was sickeningly sweet as ever, "Was it the alluring softness of velvet, or the roughness of washed-out cotton?"

"Shut up!"

Ciel glared at Angela with his exposed eye. "Back at the chapel… his hand, the Founder's… it was my Father's hand!"

Angela's composed smile continued to annoy Ciel to a very great extent. He continued, "You  _killed_  him. My parents—you killed them!" he stood up in anger and continued to question the angel. "But why did you kill them? What benefit for an angel, did it—!"

"' _Kill_ ' is such an uncanny word," she cut him off, disgusted at the used word. "But... was it really me _alone_ who took your parents' lives? Was it _me_ who killed  _him_?" As she saw the lad to be frozen in place, the angel continued to make a point, "That butler of yours… Was it not you, the one who ordered your butler? Does that not make you the one to blame for their second death?"

Ciel took in a sharp breath, thinking back on the previous events, whilst Angela continued to laugh at him mockingly. "How _splendid_! Even after touching that distorted past, you are _still_ able to retain some presence of mind."

"Why you!"

Angela unfolded her wings yet again, causing a few of the feathers to fall off. "You are full of stains— ** _unclean_** , **_dirty_** —however," she paused and flew towards Ciel. "If you throw off this thin skin of yours, a precious brilliance will emerge." She grabbed the young earl's chin with a little force to make him look at her while wrapping them both within her wings.

"Shall I rewrite this unseemly past that has stained you so?"

Ciel broke free from the angel's hold. "Enough! Was it not you— _your own fault, by your own doing_ —that I became  _impure_?" Angela only smirked at him, put a hand to Ciel's head in a similar way his deceased father did to the young lad, making the little Phantomhive more than quite vulnerable.

His eyes screamed to escape the touch of the angel, but he was but a child. The young Phantomhive wavered, and the last thing he saw was Angela's face, her purple eyes meeting his as she looked down on Ciel's deep blue orbs. Soon after that, darkness replaced it and clouds his vision.

As these transpired between them, the sounds of hurrying heels could be heard as two reapers and a demon trudged about the Library. "Angels possess the power to alter Cinematic Records." William began to explain.

"You mean to say they can change the past?" Sebastian questioned, somehow a bit surprised to discover something new, despite having lived perhaps, far longer than the reaper he was talking to. The bespectacled man looked down, "Even God Himself, could not even do such a thing. Those angels and the altered Cinematic Records they create, only give people a false sense of peace."

William's voice took on a much lower tone, "One who is plagued by negative experiences, to the point where the soul is about to break, wishes for that past to be undone and reversed… yet, in the end, it will only continue to haunt him  _eternally_."

* * *

"That should do it. It's a good thing there were flowers outside, for his funeral. But the stained glass would have to remain like that." Harvey said, wiping his hand dry after washing some blood that got on his hands.

"So, we tell the rest that you were accompanying me back to my room after getting myself lost, and then saw the Founder's body as we passed the chapel. Seems plausible enough," Amelia placed the last piece of flower that surrounded the dead man's body, and dusted her hands off.

"Now that this issue is done, let us continue from where we left off from our previous conversation," Harvey began, before he sat on one of the steps near the altar. Amelia sat across him, not on the floor but on the first row seat. Harvey hid his anxiety as his gray eyes stared back at the brunette's green ones.

"How on earth did  _you_  find out about _her_ , the angel?"

Amelia couldn't help the smug smirk form on her lips, "I should be asking the same to you, Harvey. You seem to have known all along of an angel's presence." Then, the smirk turned into a frown while she glared at Harvey who shifted uncomfortably in his place. "It means that you knew;  _you knew_  as well, that she would do something to Ciel. That 'cleansing' and being 'chosen by the Founder', were all just a farce! And what did you do: you set off and brought my cousin to her without any remorse." 

The lady scoffed and clicks her tongue, "It's neither amusing nor surprising. You  _are_  Harvey after all." The redheaded earl flinches at her tone and implication. Unsatisfied with the lack of response from him, she was about to continue, probably to also rant about his whole existence. But Harvey knew he had to clear things up, so he stands with his hands raised in defence. "Wait, it's not what you think, listen to me first. Hear me out, will you?"

' _But did you hear me out back then? Shall I give in to your request now, when you threw me out like some disposable garbage after finding out about my true identity? Do you think you deserve my_ mercy _?_ ' These thoughts hung in Amelia's mind, and she had to blink back the stinging tears in her eyes. She said so herself, what use is bringing the past  back, when you're living in the inevitable present?

They breathed in silence. 

"How can I be so sure that you would tell me the truth? As _someone_ once said, 'Humans are but lying creatures'." Amelia pulls her skirt up slightly, and saw how Harvey tried not to look too long on her legs. She grabs her double daggers, the blade glimmering faintly under the bright light from the moon. 

Harvey becomes sweaty, ' _Damn, I'm unarmed. I should have known..._ ' he takes a tentative step back and fixes his robes. The earl then, took this moment to explain.

"It all began… when I was having plans of leaving the mansion. I tire of simply playing around, my parents are on a relentless search for some noblewoman my age worthy of our wealth, and I had to distance myself from Al, since the 'Jack the Ripper' incident," he was referring to the Viscount of Druitt, Aleister Chamber. Amelia had to grip on the daggers a bit harder at the mention of the title given to her long gone aunt, who was then forced to team up with a red reaper.

"To clear my mind, I went out for a hunt. Something white, and faintly glowing caught my periphery, so I followed it. And then I shot this large bird, went to where it landed. The creature was something I had never seen before: a monkey with reddened eyes, and its small angel-like wings were bleeding due to the bullet I shot." Harvey paused, checking if Amelia was still listening, _believing_ the nonsense he was saying; or if she would just shut him up, annoyed, by shoving the daggers down his throat.

But lucky for him, Amelia knew how the world they were living in was somehow, infested by beings that were considered fictional. 

"I was about to touch it when suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, and when I looked, it was gone. Then, I was showered upon by white, faintly glowing feathers, the same shine and glow that caught my eye in the beginning." He paused, noticing the brunette's eyebrow raise in the slightest bit.

"I'm telling the truth! I know it sounds like I've lost my mind but..." he sighs, but still continues his story. "The feathers became too bright to look at, so I closed my eyes. Of course, when I reopened them she—the angel—was there in front of me, from where the creature once laid. Th—?"

"Did she have purple eyes, and hair that resembles the color of the clouds?" Amelia interrupted, and the redhead she were talking to faltered in his next word; giving her the answer that she was correct. Harvey sighs, "Y-Yes... she explained that she needed some sort of aid to create a convent; she needed  _money_. The angel also told me that I am not the only noble she is depending on to accomplish her mission. That is, to purify the world. And that's what pushed me to leave for Preston and see what would happen."

Amelia laughs scornfully, "Money, the root cause of all evil. And an  _angel_ , someone from  _heaven_ , asks for it?" The human lady was amused at the unlikeliness of that. "But what now, nothing is truly impossible in this world we live in, Harvey." 

Her laughing died down and pokes her chin lightly with the tip of one of her daggers, "So, how many have lives have she told you nobles to go and kill for her?"

Harvey bit his lower lip, ran a hand through his hair and fell to his knees. When he raised his head up to look at Amelia, a bitter smile graced his face. "What else could we have done? We had to follow everything she said, and promised us that even if we had to kill someone, it was for the good of God's new world."

"If not, then it was my life or some stranger's. I've never... stained my hands with blood until..." he took in a shaky breath, and clutches his head with a hand; as though he were trying to forget the nightmares he himself created.

The lady clenched her teeth, and tucks one dagger back inside its sheath. "Get up, you need not to react that way." Somehow, she felt no remorse for what he was forced to endure. ' _Had he not been so curious... had he not been such a bastard. No matter, he is no longer my concern, and he's a grown man!_ ' 

She walks closer to him, offers her free hand. Harvey looks up, and she cocks her head to the side. Harvey takes it and gets to his feet. He wanted to hold her hand longer, but she refuses such and jerks her hand forcibly away. Amelia crosses a leg over the other as she sat once more, "But, do you know anything about the Doomsday Books?"

' _What does she_ not _know?_ ' Harvey sat beside her and shook his head to the side in disagreement. "She only mentioned them once but we never got to see real ones, nor did she even explain what they were truly for. What we saw in the Purification Ceremony is just about everything that I am aware of."

Amelia nodded, pleased with his telling of the truth. She then looks straight ahead behind the Founder's body. " _Unclean_ , _unwanted_ … she targets those kinds of people does she not?"

Harvey shrugs, "That's what the angel says. Even I honestly, do not know nor understand how she goes about the cleansing thing—that happens outside of ceremonies—because there have been quite a few times that she just, cleanses us on a whim. Some don't come out to live right after, some... lose their minds." The earl pauses, a small smirk on his lips. "Several of us 'chosen' nobles talk amongst ourselves and say she's like a wild lady, an angel undergoing menstruation."

Amelia would have chuckled, or snorted, but figured an angel on a killing rampage was something not too entertaining, especially if you were the race on the losing end. "Well, she has Ciel with her now; what are the odds that when she returns here, she'll go for me next?" 

"W-What...? No, I... I wouldn't let that."

"And neither would I." she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Ciel is the only family I have left after my secret was exposed. Of course I have to protect him, and myself."

Harvey casts his eyes away, "I'm sorry; I never should have..." 

Amelia tucks the other dagger away and faces him properly, "And for what are you apologizing for?" The earl bites his lower lip, and with a whisper, "... _everything_ ," 

"Hm," the lady stands, then walks around, bored to have to wait aimlessly. "You're sorry now..." she murmurs softly, brushing her hand against the petals of the flowers. "But you're far too late." she plucks one of the yellow carnations and hands it to Harvey with a Sebastian-ish smile. 

Amelia continues to strike a conversation, though she talks idly, "You know, about what you said regarding that demon mark? If I were to choose, it would be best to spend my lifetime with one, rather than to have to be cleansed by some freakish angel like Angela." 

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you've actually come in contact with a  _demon_?!"

"What are you saying?! Of course  _not_ ," she lied and followed up with, " _But_  if there is or will be a possibility—a moment wherein I get to pick between the two kinds—I'd go for the demon. At least I know that for a fact that he's a monster,  that he would not lie to me about that truth; unlike an angel who has a tendency to go insane and become an ultimate  _clean freak_."

Amelia feels her back soothing, cooling even, as though something were inducing calmness into her system. Somehow, at the back of her mind, her thoughts were filled with Sebastian. ' _Ah, we still have something to discuss. I need answers... but then, would I be ready to hear them? If, Harvey is right about that... thing,_ '

Spending a lifetime with a demon like "Sebastian", the lady imagined. She knew that she would go and be extinguished in the flames of hell for turning her back on her god. ' _But where was He when I needed Him? If you put it that way, somehow, it doesn't sound so bad anymore—being a demon's possession..._ ' 

"But Mia... why?"

Harvey's words snapped her out of her trance. With pursed lips turning into a tight smile, Amelia quotes Shakespeare by saying, "' _Hell is empty and all the devils are here,_ ' thus, what is the difference if I have to live with a genuine one?" 

She couldn't care less about Harvey's shocked face, taken aback by her words; dark circles forming around his eyes. The housekeeper knew she was right, or rather, would want to believe that she was, and that she  _is_. Amelia leans back, shutting her eyes close, trying to get some rest while opting to silently wait for the safe return of Ciel, due to Sebastian and the redheaded reaper's work. 

All the while, Harvey's worried eyes scanned her from head to toe before he too, gives in to tiredness. 


	43. In Body and Soul

"An angel has the ability to manipulate a human's memories, in a way that they do not touch the past, and rather, make the human believe that _that past_ was not necessarily despairing." William finished his explanation as the three of them continued down another long hallway, delving deeper into the library, leading to where Ciel and Angela were.

The young Phantomhive earl was now made to return to a certain memory of his: the burning of the Phantomhive mansion. The cold, dark December set aside by the scorching, bright flames. The black sky was tainted red and ash, as smoke reached for the heavens, hindering the stars from showing their brilliance.

As oxygen became scarce, Ciel had fallen to his knees and held onto his head, with his whole body shaking seeming as though at any point now he would break.

" _It's alright now, Ciel…_ "

At the sound of Vincent's voice, the child slowly looked up. As he did, the burning mansion ceased its existence after being showered upon by familiar, glowing feathers. The blood-stained, burnt floor of the manor changed into fresh, crisp grass and the smoke vanished, now turned into a mild breeze, blowing against Ciel's fringe.

A few steps away from his kneeling form would be his parents. Both Vincent and Rachel stood before him, while smiling tenderly at their beloved son. The young earl could only stare up at them with his eyes wide, gasping.

" _The death that called on us is nothing you should lament._ "

" _That's right... we don't want to see you suffering._ "

Vincent and Rachel spoke after the other as Ciel resumes his footing, standing firm before he chooses to reply to his parents. The lad was trying to keep his mind on track and not lose his grip on reality, "This… is a lie. Yes, this is a lie! Both my Mother and Father are—!"

" _We saw a light back then; a rich and peaceful light full of affection. Through death, your Father and I were able to become one—_ in body and soul." Rachel however, cut her son's statement, and her loving voice echoed throughout the place. Vincent followed through with, " _Yes, and we who were then two separate persons, have now become united as one; we can embrace your entire being,_ body and soul _._ "

Their voices were too soothing, too melodic that it was sort of, becoming hypnotic. The couple's reflection on Ciel's exposed eye faded, as though he were not himself anymore. The earl had somewhat been controlled by the illusion, the sweet words which were of false promises, spouted by his parents. 

Vincent raised his left arm out, seeming to invite Ciel in and so did Rachel. Both parents encouragingly called out for their child's name, urging him to come closer. 

" _We **love** you_."

The young earl took a small, wobbly step in their direction. He was even calling out to his parents in a soft voice. His movements were somehow looking to be stilted, perhaps something deep within him was still fighting back to escape the fake memory and return to reality. However, most of his will was gone, as his body was slowly giving in to Vincent and Rachel's call.

Meanwhile, back in the Library of the Death Gods, Sebastian was first to enter the library itself, slamming the doors in the process. The two bespectacled reapers that came along went in as well.

"Young Master!" The demon exclaimed upon seeing Ciel. The young lad was emitting a bluish-white glow from his chest, which can be considered as the door to his Cinematic Records because what lied beneath was his heart. The films were flying, floating in all sorts of directions, around Ciel's body.

The angel that cradled the Phantomhive boy's head between her hands and her lap, only smiled at the trio of other supernatural beings. "His past is being rewritten at this very moment, purged white and clean."

"Purged?" Sebastian questions. "No one wishes to live with hatred as a burden. _He_ is no exception to that."

The demon's eyes widened at the thought of the soul he's been working so hard for on cultivating, only to be cleansed and be gone into waste. He didn't fathom such an idea, so he made a move to stop the purging. However, William's comment made him hesitate, and halt in his tracks. "What a thoughtless thing to do."

Sebastian looked at the reaper from the corner of his red eyes, perhaps signaling the black-haired reaper to carry on with the underlying statement. William sighs, "If forcibly halted now, the past will not be fitted correctly into this boy, and in turn, will cause him to become an incomplete human being."

"That's right," Angela confirmed immediately, and Sebastian's piercing eyes darted back to her. "He will now become a pure human." The demon had a stern face as he mumbled, displeased at the fact presented to him that even _he_ , a demon, could do nothing about the situation. "My Young Master… is being purged."

Back inside Ciel's memory, the young lad was still there, taking uneasy steps towards his father and mother. Rachel, with a gentle smile, continues to beckon Ciel over to their welcoming embrace, " _That's right, come here, with us, our child. We do not bear a grudge towards anyone._ " Vincent speaks right after, " _Go on son, that is how it should be,_ " he reached out his hand further for his son and continued, " _Don't be deluded by those foolish, negative emotions._ "

Ciel was nearly two steps away from them, as Angela's illusion of his parents continued to try and lure him in.

" _Cast off your hatred,_ "

" _Hatred is **impurity**._ "

The last word from Vincent's statement probably ruined the cleansing of Ciel's past. Hearing that one word made the young boy stop, as it somehow triggered something deep within his mind and wretched heart. Ciel was slowly coming back to his senses, and reality was dawning on him.

" _What's wrong, son?_ "

" _Did something happen?_ "

His parents' voices sounded worried, but beneath all that was a tinge of confusion. Ciel's whole form trembled, and he could only softly reply, "N-No… I… won't..."

Rachel's smile was replaced with a concerned frown as she looked down on her son. " _What are you talking about, dear?_ "

With the child's eyes shut tight, he clenched his fists hidden in the long, loose, sleeves of the Heaven's Choir uniform that he wore. "Even if my parents didn't hold a grudge against anybody, that has nothing to do with  _my_ own hatred!"

Vincent's brows furrowed and his lips turned into a frown, " _Son, what nonsense are you saying?_ " Rachel knelt down to level her gaze with the young Phantomhive and held onto his shoulders firmly, " _Did you not love us?_ "

Ciel refuses to open his eyes, and even lowers his head more. His shoulders shook violently, and one can even deduce that he was crying with the way he looked. However, Ciel's tears have long dried up. "I _do_ love you, Mother. And you as well, Father; which is why, it was all so painful."

He clenches his fist tighter, so much so that Ciel felt his own nails digging miniature crescents on his palm, and his knuckles were bone-white. The lad's voice cracked as he admits, " _It hurt,_ " then, continues sharing his sentiments with a low voice, "There is nothing left to me but hatred."

Vincent tried once again, putting his smile back on his lips, " _Which is why we are telling you to throw it all away; let go of your ha—!?_ "

"I won't!"

The smile was once again removed from Vincent's face, shocked from his son's violent reaction. Ciel spoke through gritted teeth, "Should I cast off my hatred, what I have become from and after that day would cease to exist. I wouldn't be the 'Ciel' that I've become—the one who I am right now—anymore!"

Rachel stood up and took a step back, " _S-Son..._ "

The edges of the Phantomhive couple's form began to blur; the illusion was slowly breaking as images from the fire—them, being the stitched up couple—and the current one in the field, came back and forth, one right after the other.

The young lad's eyes widened at what he was witnessing; and when Ciel was at his wit's end, his hands clutched on his head and screamed. Vincent attempts to approach him, but it was all futile. " _Son…!_ "

"I… won't give it up…" Ciel stands firm on his words, taking deep and steady breaths through his mouth. 

Rachel gasped, her gloved hands covering her small mouth as she and her husband stared at their son. Ciel's hands slipped down from his face and put up a frown with a matching glare to boot—looking very determined.

"I will _not_  give this hatred up!"

The couple's eyes widened then they screamed as their son watched—unflinching, and unnerved—seeing his parents before him disappear as they and the once peaceful field glowed brightly, as though all of it was simply a beautiful nightmare.

From the Death God's Library, the supernatural beings witnessed Ciel's body being lifted up into midair.

"Unbelievable! He restored the Cinematic Record all by himself?!" Grell exclaimed with a surprised look on his/her/its face. And it wasn't just the redheaded reaper; Angela was too, as it was evident on her face, with her purple eyes widened, that she did not want to believe what she was seeing.

The reels soon went back inside the bluish-white glow from Ciel's chest and upon the restoration of his Records, this had stopped him from being suspended in the air and defying gravity. "Young Master!" the butler yelled and quickly went to catch Ciel in his arms.

Beads of sweat were around Ciel's face, his eyes still shut tight. Sebastian murmured, "What a reckless thing to do." As he did, his master had opened his eyes and looked up at him. "S-Sebastian… I…"

"You never fail to exceed my expectations. I should expect nothing less from my sou— _no_ —from my Young Master."

Angela took a sharp intake of breath with her fists clenched, her primly cut nails digging on her own flesh, while her eyes closed as she murmured, "How dreadful a tainted heart is— _corrupted, stagnant, and dark_ —showing mercy was of no use, as I expected."

She opened her purple orbs and glared at the group in front of her, specifically at the only human among them, "Let me cleanse you thoroughly right here and now."

The demon butler's hand went inside his coat's pocket as he brought out four knives—the high-grade Phantomhive silverware—with a smirk, "Let me be your opponent." His other arm rose slightly in protection of his snack; _no_ , young master.

"Disturbances in the Library fall under the jurisdiction of Death Gods. Let us join the altercation, Grell Sutcliffe." William intervenes as he stepped forward, standing on Sebastian's right side. The redheaded reaper brought out his/her/its safety scissors scythe and followed William's steps, going to Sebastian's left.

"Oh~! I see, it's a three-way~! A heated battle is about to begin!"

He/She/It placed their gloved hands to their face, with feet stepping wildly onto the tiled floor in excitement.

" **Yes, indeed~ Now excuse for a moment, please let me through~** "

The Undertaker appeared from nobody-knows-where, whilst pushing a wooden cart filled with a bunch of books—Doomsday Books, nonetheless—and passed by between the two opposing sides.

The heads of those against the angel followed the silver-haired man in confusion.

" **Let's see now…~ Number 08 under the letter 'N'…~ Where is that…?~** " He murmured, looking for a Doomsday Book through a nearby bookshelf. Ciel reacted in question and mild surprise at the ridiculous man's appearance, "Undertaker?!"

The said man turned to face them, his mouth opened in a wide smile as he greeted them. Grell looked at the man he/she/it had buried in salt the other time and said, "Wait a minute! Why the heck are you—!"

William had hit Grell's head with his scythe, as a form of reprimand, stopping the redhead from his/her/its statement. "Mind your words, Sutcliffe! This epitome of reliability passed judgment on the souls of Robin Hood himself, and sent Marie Antoinette to Hell."

William's glasses glints as he pushes it further up the bridge of his nose. "Even a crying child would willingly hold out their soul to this _Legendary Death God_."

An image of Undertaker wearing a Death God's glasses, wearing a coat over a black suit, and holding a clichéd type of death scythe that had a long blade and a skull head on top, with both of his hands, was in the heads of the two "minor" reapers.

"Wait a moment! He is nothing like what you've always described!" Grell pointed a finger at the busy Undertaker. He/She/It went closer to him and made Undertaker face him/her/it whilst speaking, "Besides, which part of this small-fry is a Legendary Death—!"

He/She/It lifted Undertaker's long bangs to check and see, and upon doing so and probably seeing that William was telling the truth, he/she/it wasn't able to finish his/her/its own statement and instead, held onto the Legendary Death God.

Grell's head rested on Undertaker's chest, "Ah, embrace me~!"

Angela took this time to fly, a large glowing light emitting from her body, "As you appear rather busy, I shall carry on and get rid of the filth back at the monastery."

"So, you've decided to run away again?"

"Let me show you what kind of end the world will meet, if ruled by impurity!"

Immediately, she disappeared along with the blinding light; though Sebastian attempted to stop it by throwing knives, sadly, it didn't work and wasn't sufficient enough of an attack to stop the fallen angel.

The once white Library had turned into a bronze kind of color right after.

"What's this…?"

William clicks his tongue, " _Tch_ , an angel's barrier."

* * *

Back at Preston, the rest of the monastery had come into the chapel for their usual morning prayer but they were met with Amelia and Harvey's explanation, plus a dead Founder inside a black coffin, with a variety of flowers as his pillows.

As what the brunette expected, there would be crying and praying the whole time, as the majority was obviously confused, shocked and afraid. Thus, she decided to go along with it. ' _Well, not a soul even questioned our involvement. It's either they're really that pea-brained, or are completely held by the angel's reins._ ' Amelia was busy with her thoughts as a way for her to drown out the buzz around her, of whimpers and sniffing, of tears and sweat.

The housekeeper sighs, her hands loosely clasped together. ' _Though, what the hell is taking_ them _so long?_ ' she thought as she looked down on the ground while sitting by the aisle with Harvey on her left.

"There is no need for you to mourn. After all, the coffins you have collected can finally be put into good use."

They all raised their heads up in shock but only Amelia had a different reaction. For when she recognized Angela's voice and the stained glass at the middle began to glow, her face contorted in anger, glaring at what she considered a monstrosity.

Angela appeared before them all with all that never-ending glowing, copying the pose of the girl in the middle stained glass as she smiled too innocently down upon them.

"A-An angel?" the ginger-haired nun from before stated. Amelia was nearby and tried not to look in the voice's direction, but since it was familiar to her ears, she couldn't help but turn her head towards it. Mathilda Simmons and Amelia Midford then, looked at each other through pure chance, their gazes unfaltering.

She wasn't annoyed, but she somehow felt that the nun deserved some ounce of pity after being used so brashly by a manipulative demon.

"Entrust everything unto me—those tainted Doomsday Books of yours," Angela speaking, snaps the brunette from her daze. The angel descended from her flying, the glow faded and she opened her arms. Now that the ethereal aura about her was gone, Angela seemed to be just some ordinary person with wings attached to her back.

"Those pages which hold no hope of a future; entrust them all to me!" Her arms were now raised as she continued, "Every one of you here are all so _impure_." At that moment, the people of the monastery were crumpling in pain, some or most of them holding onto their chests.

Amelia's eyes widened at the sudden pain that shot through her body but the glare she gave the angel never left her eyes. She gritted her teeth, whilst holding onto her seat.

The angel finally saw the brunette's small resistance, and raised her eyebrow at the human with a smirk. Her purple orbs clashed with Amelia's forest green ones, and this inflicted more pain unto the human.

Amelia raised her head up, seeming to look at the ceiling as she gasped slightly in pain. It wasn't only because of Angela, but the burning sensation in her back returned once again. She wasn't so sure which was causing her more pain.

"That is why I am here now, and am personally going to purify all your souls. All of you have been dependent on honeyed words, dependent even on God himself." The way Angela mentioned him had a venomous tone to it altogether. "All of you have given up on rewriting the future yourselves. Erase the barren! Erase the useless! Erase the unclean!"

"Why don't you... start with eradicating... your _filthy_ existence?!" Amelia managed to choke out through the excruciating pain, her anger-filled eyes narrowing at the angel. "You… it was all you… that puppet, the curry spice… 'Purity' my ass, more like, poo-rity!"

Angela laughed mockingly at the brunette and simply watched her. As the laugh ended, the angel's face became stern, serious. "Mind your language you impure human; or rather, dare I say demon? That is why you have no rightful place in this sacred world."

The human lady rolled her eyes, "Say what you want, call me what you may… but as it turns out, you're… more demonic… than I am. Despite you being... a supposed soldier of God, you... just ended up being so... _blinded_ by your awful righteousness..." then, she takes another deep breath and musters a smirk, "...that here you are, like a rotten... fallen... apple,"

Angela scowled at the human's statement and made her flap her wings. She stayed in air, just a few inches before her toes touched the ground, and she grabbed Amelia's hair to make the latter look up at her.

"Listen, _brat_. You act so high and mighty, yet you are nothing but a mere unclean soul. And that tragic soul of yours is spiraling its way to hell far quicker than you may think."

Amelia maintains the smirk, "Here I thought... only demons... have such infatuation with... souls..."

Angela scoffs, returning the smug look, "You say that, riding on the belief that you were born, are living, and will die, a human. That could be true now, but  _that_ _demon_ 's mark is evident on you— _you reek of that demon_ —and who knows in just another period of time, you're bound to become like him."

"And by 'him'… you mean to say…?"

The angel deadpans as she rolled her eyes and held on Amelia's hair tighter, bringing their faces closer. Truth be told, Amelia didn't want to believe what she was hearing from the angel and prevents herself from spitting at the angel's face.

"You're not only impure; you're quite idiotic as well; an _expected_ truth. That demon you call 'Sebastian': that demon has his plans for you, and you may not realize it yet. However, with that mark,  you become his and his alone."

Harvey had always been sitting beside Amelia and even though he seemed to be losing consciousness, his ears had heard everything. He internally gasped, and if it weren't for the pain, his eyes would've opened wide in shock and utter disbelief.

' _Th-That man… is a_  demon _?!_ '

The angel continues to voice out her sentiments, "Such is the sorrow and pain that I feel even by just the thought of it. And that is why you and that young lad, 'Ciel', are a waste of such purity that was bestowed to you."

At the mention of her cousin, Amelia scowled deeply at the angel still gripping her hair. The pain she felt turned to numbness as the brunette somehow gained energy to speak. "Where is he?! If even a single strand of his hair is out of place, I swear I'm going to remove each and every feather on those pretty wings of yours."

"He's alive and well. But I cannot let his dark soul linger around this world any longer." The angel answers with nonchalance. Unable to hold back, the brunette's previous thoughts were now made to live as she spat on the angel's face and smirked triumphantly, "Look who's not clean anymore; you should probably eradicate yourself as well, do you not think so?"

Angela shrieked in anger, wiping the saliva off her pale face and grabbed hold of the culprit's neck with one hand, raising her up effortlessly.

"My patience with you has worn thin. It is about time that I begin the cleansing ceremony, and let me do that with you first above the rest." She spoke through her perfect, pearl-white, gritted teeth.

"M-Mia…!" Harvey tried to stop Angela, trying to reach for the angel's ankle, fighting off the pain seeping throughout his whole body. But the angel saw his attempt and flapped her wings, yet again causing another strong gush of air to hit downwards, forcing Harvey to come in contact with his stone seat once again due to the impact.

Angela pushes Amelia to the wall as she flies. Meanwhile, as the brunette struggles, the angel glowers at Harvey from above; thus, the pain increased throughout his body.

Meanwhile, the brunette who was losing oxygen every second because of the angel's iron grip on her neck, focused on trying to breathe as her hands clawed at the angel's hand.

Angela only grinned manically at her frivolous effort, while Amelia's vision began to blur. Images flashed through her mind, fragments of memories that seemed too real played before her eyes. 

" _Ciel... is that you...?_ "

" _But, where's Elizabeth? Surely she has gone to the garden, has she not? My, such a skill for hiding..._ "

Days spent in the Phantomhive manor, both as housekeeper and as a Midford lady switched into the time she ran away from the Midford manor.

" _Forgive me... farewell,_ "

" _My Father? How did you..._ "

Images of her having a conversation with Maria Gale, the last victim of Jack the Ripper, disappeared to make way for something redder, bloodier and scorching: like the flames she were seeing.

" _Mother, I'm..._ "

" _We... didn't do anything wrong... did we?_ "

Her eyes met with another's lifeless ones, whose body was in a dead and bloody heap on the floor they shared.

Amelia internally begs for oxygen to enter her lungs and hopefully clear her mind of her unwanted memories returning all at once. Her tears began to surface and roll down her face, desperately trying to claw her way out of the angel's grasp on her neck.

' _Wh-Why am I seeing… th-these?! Am I… about to die?! Is Angela responsible for this?! But I... no, this... I won't let it all end here... I..._ '

The brunette's eyes shut tight, " _I won't give up!_ "

Amelia used the last ounce of energy she had left plus the rush of adrenaline, and from the long sleeves she had on, she brought out a decent sized piece of the glass shard from when Angela had taken Ciel away to the Library of Death Gods.

"That's it Angela… it's about time for you to... let it go!"

Amelia raised her arm and stabbed the angel's wrist, then the blood came flowing down Angela's arm. The angel shrieks in pain and her hold on the brunette loosened.

The housekeeper began falling, and she closed her eyes, feeling the pull of gravity on her body. She can even hear Harvey's voice calling for her name. "N-Nooo!"

_Thud_.

"Well, well."


	44. Over With

"It won't open!"

"Good grief, it seems that we have been locked in."

Grell kept pulling the door's long handles in an attempt to open them. From the bookshelf Undertaker was skimming through, one of the Doomsday Books began shaking by itself, its color turning a shade darker. It caught Undertaker's attention, as he looked up at it in mild curiosity.

The Doomsday Book seemed to have a life of its own, flying out from its place and landing on the tiled floor with a loud thud. After which, the book opened automatically. Ciel along with the other beings turned their heads to the fallen book that unraveled its pages on its own.

When it stopped to a certain page and a blank one next to it, William stepped closer and picked it up. His eyes scanned the written passages, "It would seem that this Doomsday Book belongs to one of those humans in the monastery."

With a stern face, the coal-haired reaper continued to read on, this time voicing it out for the others. " _'A slaughtering angel has descended upon the monastery on the outskirts of Preston.'_ "

"Slaughtering angel? How befitting," Ciel spoke, the image of Angela's serene smile and dirty intentions flash in his head when he heard this. Undertaker went to them, since the statement piqued his interest and William gladly—though it wasn't obvious judging the stern look on his face—handed the gray-haired reaper the Doomsday Book.

" ** _Hmm~_ ' _Russel Harvey Spencer_ ' _, eh~? I see, I see…~_** "

"Mia's fi— _friend_ 's Doomsday Book?" The Phantomhive boy muttered, surprised, and in haste, grabs hold of Undertaker's sleeve. "Stop her, stop Angela!"

Undertaker chuckles in amusement. " ** _This is the first time I've seen you so worried about other people's business, Earl~ Hi-hi-hi~_** " Ciel frowns at that, "I just don't want to let that angel do as she pleases."

"Does anyone know how we could get out of this Library or not?" Sebastian interrupts them, sounding rather impatient. William pushed his glasses up once again—perhaps out of habit—and sighed.

"Well, there is _one_ other solution," he paused. "We consider it as our ultimate tool, in which only higher ranking Death Gods of the Dispatch Management Division are permitted to use." His lenses glimmered in the light as he pushed his glasses again, "It is called, the Death Bookmark."

Ciel tilts his head slightly, "A bookmark?" The tone of his voice implies that he is not impressed.

Undertaker chuckled again as he brought out the said bookmark from his long sleeves, " ** _Mind you, it's_** **pink~** " he placed it gently in between the pages. Indeed was the bookmark horrendously pink—rose pink and black and at the center was what seemed to be a face with eyes and mouth both bone white; it even had a pale pink ribbon to finish the look. "By putting it here, we can momentarily stop this person's story from being written. Along with this bookmark, is this special pen—the Red Pen."

The pen also resembles the bookmark, and Undertaker prepares to write, "Now it says here, ' _Purified at the hand of the angel Angela in the monastery._ '"

"But it just ends there," Ciel commented as he peered into the book. Undertaker chuckled once again. "Ah yes, but with these, we can now add, ' _At that very moment, Sebastian Michaelis appeared out of nowhere._ '

The demon blurred, and he vanished into thin air, scaring and shocking the redheaded reaper. "S-Sebas _-chan_?!"

"Oh, then, what a very convenient tool it is, despite its colors." Ciel murmured, watching Undertaker write and what he was saying on Harvey's Doomsday Book. Before he continues, about to include Grell and William into the story, he pauses to reply to the earl's statement.

" ** _Ah, but you see, it not as powerful as it seems~_** "

* * *

"Well, well."

Sebastian had caught the falling Amelia just in time, as he reappeared in the monastery. Harvey was shocked at the sight of the man clad in black, that was now cradling the brunette in his arms.

Meanwhile, Angela grits her teeth as she slowly removed the glass shard from her wrist, wherein there was an added knife into it because of a certain butler. The angel growled, "Filthy… Unclean…Vermin…!"

Amelia flutters her eyes open, and a small gasp escapes through her dried, pale lips. "S-Sebastian… is this hell? Am I in hell now?" She could barely whisper, her lungs still trying to deliver the lost oxygen back into her system.

The demon chuckled fondly at the human girl— _his_ mate—whom he held in his arms. He chose not to answer immediately, his wine red eyes tracing every inch and curve of her face. Sebastian revels in her warm tired eyes, despite having a cool color in them, framed nicely by long thick lashes. The brunette stares back at him, and would not admit that she was ultimately glad to see the demon.

When she cracks a hint of a smile, Sebastian tries not to get distracted, "Oh, no worries my dear. Hell is much different; for one, there are no cats that you can pet."

The housekeeper snorts, now regaining some of her energy. "It's okay now, I can stand. And this," she lightly punched Sebastian's shoulder soon as the butler let her down, "This is for being late. And I trust that Ciel will soon follow."

He nodded in affirmation and lightly placed a single gloved hand on Amelia's back. The lady feels another small jolt of strength coursing through her. ' _There he goes again with his soothing touch... it's so hard to resist, and it feels too good for my liking,_ ' 

Sebastian watches her, holding back a sly smirk as he was pleased by the reaction he was getting. ' _She looks so conflicted judging by the look on her face._ ' As soon as his hand lingered, the sooner did he remove it from her body to face the angel. Amelia then steps aside, fighting the voice at the back of her mind that screams at her to demand for the demon's hand once again. 

As she turns her attention to rescuing the members of the cult, Sebastian on the other hand focuses on the angel. Angela threw the knife back at him, yet in time, the demon caught it with ease. Sebastian readies himself, pulling his gloves on tighter. "You have given me a much valuable reason to slay you, Angela. Shall I thank you for that? _Ah_ , this will be most enjoyable."

Nonetheless, the sky-haired angel smiled down at him, still in midair as she began to calm down. "You wish to be buried by an angel? My, you are such a praiseworthy demon are you not, 'Sebastian Michaelis'?"

The demon's smirk grew to a grin with his eyes slightly narrowed as he began his attack, aiming for where Angela flew about, landing on his knees.

However, Angela shifts to a defensive mode, flapping her wings in time. She flies towards the other way, rounding the chapel to avoid the knives hurled her way by the demon below her. Amelia also did a good job at trying not to get stabbed by the falling knives.

Angela landed on the floor, the heels of her ankle boots clacking when they hit against the ground. "Do you think a wingless demon can fight equally with an angel like me on pure wings? A  _demon_  like you is bound to the ground  _eternally_."

Sebastian stood up from his place and smirked with his eyes closed, "That might be true, and indeed you might have a point. However, if that is how you must put it, then," he pauses before revealing his wine red eyes once again.

"Should it not be, that  _you_ must remain stuck to the sky?"

William suddenly appears behind Angela at that moment. The angel was late to react, turning around a second too late after sensing the reaper's presence. Wasting no time, William immediately used his scythe to pin Angela high above on to the brick wall of the chapel.

The sky-haired angel could only gasp as she felt the blades of William's clipper closing around her neck, yet she doesn't stop, still struggling to remove it with her left hand.

"Come now, Grell Sutcliffe. For the meantime," William paused and brought out another scythe before tossing it to his left. At that time, the redheaded reaper arrives and successfully caught the scythe offered to him/her/it.

" _Ah_ ~! An all-new Death Scythe~!" Grell moaned, exclaiming in excitement and was obviously overjoyed, twirling the scythe around before he/she/it unleashed it. The blades were aimed towards Angela's right hand which Amelia had previously stabbed the wrist part with a glass shard.

Because of Grell, Angela's right wing was stabbed as well, pinning her to the wall completely. Blood spurted out and began dripping down from her injured body parts, and her anguish was evident in her voice while she shrieked.

Her purple eyes could've shot daggers—purifying dangers, if you may—which would land on the two bespectacled reapers. Beads of sweat trickled down her face, pearly teeth gritted together in a furious scowl.

Grell cheered; perhaps he/she/it was proud of his/her/its little achievement, whilst punching through the air. "I did it~!" However, that joy was short-lived when William pulls him/her/it back to reality and reminded him, "When this is over, return it to me  _immediately_  after you've cleaned it."

" _Meanie_ …"

"Well, now that it has become this entertaining, it is time to put this new dart board to use." Sebastian stepped in between the two reapers, his knives gleaming in the faint light. The demon stretched out and threw the knife to Angela's right arm. Angela growled once again, containing her screams to not give the demon the satisfaction from her pain. The angel bleeds, as red hot liquid begins seeping through the cloth of her white sleeves.

"Oh? It would seem that I missed," he paused. "Now, where shall I aim for?" he looks to the side, catching the brunette in the middle of trying to help out an elderly lady. Amelia felt as though she was being stared at, so she looks ahead and her gaze locks with the butler. Sebastian was most likely, enjoying himself as he feigns the act of asking her for a suggestion.

Amelia steps closer to where the three were; a hand running through her slightly disheveled hair courtesy of Angela's pulling, and then her hand slides down to her bruising neck causing her to wince. "Ah, too bad these are not hickeys," The housekeeper murmurs to herself.

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"Of course _not_ , Sebastian, I was just trying to tell you to aim for either her annoying shade of purple eyes or her head, so her white hair would be dyed red." She turned to look at Grell, who, was fuming at the brunette's statement about hickeys.

"Hey, would you not like that as well? Did you not dislike women who don't 'wear red'?" Amelia made air quotations as she said this and grinned. Grell keeps his/her/its nose stuck in the air, "Hmph! It seems that you're not that bad at all, bitch."

"Right back at you, Sutcliffe. So, are we friends now?" Amelia winked at him/her/it. Grell raised a brow before flipping his/her/its long, red hair. "Don't get your hopes up! I just can't believe  _you_ 're Sebas _-chan's_ —!"

" _Demons_... they are really distasteful." William only sighed after he effectively cut off Grell's statement, his lenses gleaming once again as his eyes darted to the demon and the demon's marked mate.

With a little of her energy left, Angela forced her eyes open and turned her head to look at the four below her. A twisted smile danced on her lips as she took a deep breath and began to emit a blinding glow off her whole being.

The once purple shades found in her eyeballs were gone and were replaced with their whites, as she opened her mouth and roared. The whole place began to shake, and from afar, Angela was now just a blinding white silhouette pinned on the chapel walls.

Amelia lowered Sebastian's arm that was supposed to be throwing knives at Angela, but somehow it stuck next to his chest at the sudden change of events, still not letting his guard down. The demon didn't seem to bother and continued to watch the angel above them. "What are you trying to do, drag us all with you to your death?"

Sebastian questioned her yet Angela only answered back, her face still contorted in anger and hatred, with her voice sounding different that can be likened to a human possessed with a demon in need of an exorcism.

" ** _Erase the unclean! Erase the useless!_** "

"Wait a moment, the place is crumbling!" Grell exclaimed, looking around the chapel. The housekeeper began to walk towards the weak Harvey and slid his arm around her shoulders.

" _Amelia_ , what are you doing?"

Sebastian's narrowed eyes were aimed at the redhead that his mate was helping. He was totally _not_  jealous, but he was annoyed and deemed the man of no importance and of no reason to be rescued by Amelia or anyone for that matter.

"Come on Sebastian, I'm trying to help," she paused and began walking quickly while announcing, "Those who do not wish to be buried alive by this chapel, I suggest you all run. _Now_!"

The people who were left conscious screamed in panic as they made a run for it and heeded to the lady's instruction. Meanwhile, a large boulder had descended upon the "Founder's" body placed in the coffin, signaling them it was time to take off.

"Grell Sutcliffe, we are withdrawing as well."

Without another word, the said reaper dashed away without looking back. William and Grell both left their scythes but instead of complaining about that, the black haired reaper ranted, "Seriously, not only will I apply for overtime but also, I shall want a day off to make up for this."

Sebastian paused in his tracks, and turned to give Angela one last look, with the sound of the collapsing monastery in the background.

Without another word, the demon ran as well, avoiding the falling debris after him. As he did, Angela's head hung low and her frown turned up in a haughty smirk.

After that, the whole place crumbled into pieces and the monastery was now gone.

It was already a little past sunrise, and Amelia was somewhere with Harvey, checking in on the other survivors. In the meantime, Ciel had already arrived and was seen standing and staring at the ruins of the monastery which weren't just rocks, bricks, glass, and wood but also contained the buried remains of those who didn't have an ounce of energy left to escape Angela's rage and terror.

His exposed blue eye held a distant look in them and his gaze landed on what remained of the stained glass of the angel, "So it's over now; the existence that cast me down into impenetrable darkness is now gone, though I still couldn't understand her reason for doing it."

Ciel took a step and turned to look at the demon butler that stood a few steps away from him. Coldly, he announced, "As promised, you can take my soul now."

Sebastian quietly went closer and stood straight in front of his master. He looked down at Ciel and watched the young earl, whose eyes were now closed tight in anticipation.

But the young earl only heard the sound of his tie being knotted together and finally pulled on tightly. Ciel reopened his eyes in shock and confusion as he looked up at the smirking demon.

He grabbed the butler by his vest, "But, why, Sebastian? Why aren't you taking my soul yet? Is she not dead already? Don't tell me she's—!"

Sebastian's eyes glimmered, amused by his master's actions whilst a wide grin lingers on his lips. The Phantomhive earl took a step back and gasped. "Could there  _possibly_  be others?!"

The butler put a hand to his chest and knelt down with his head in a bow. "Please let me stay in your service for a while longer, Young Master."

* * *

"Then, I guess everyone is fine. It's all settled," Amelia said, satisfied with the help she'd done to tend to those injured. "Hey Harvey, I'm going to where Ciel and Sebastian are now. So this means, goodb—!"

The redhead gripped the brunette's shoulders and stopped her short farewell. His head hung low, with the hood from the cult robes completely obstructing his face from view.

Amelia looks at him like he's grown another head, and Harvey sucks in a breath, still recovering from the damage caused by the purification. "Wait. I have... one last thing to ask them before you leave. May I accompany you back to where they are?" With his last statement, he raised his head up to look at the lady, begging her.

"Oh, _uh_ , alright then, just relax for a bit and would you _please_ let go of my shoulders?" The housekeeper still looks baffled at the weird request and her gut tells her to suspect him.

His hands slid down her arms and were about to hold the brunette's hands but she pulled herself away and began walking. She wipes her own arms, as though Harvey's touch was filthy. While her back faced Harvey, the man inserts his left hand up into right-hand sleeve and reaches for something, a soft click resounding after he unlatches it.

From a distance, the master and his butler could be seen walking as well, and the housekeeper raised her arm slightly and waved. They closed the space between them and Amelia hugged Ciel gently, protectively.

"I'm so glad to see you again, to be honest." She pulled away and stared down at her cousin then pinched his cheek lightly and chuckled. Ciel was about to complain about the pinching but then he saw Harvey coming closer from behind her as well.

Ciel frowned and whispered, "What is  _he_  doing here?" Amelia only sighed, "He said he wanted to ask you and Sebastian something. I don't know what it is about but I don't think it's safe to trust him."

"It's nice to see you three again, and I think this would be the last time that I will. And for saving our lives, I'd like to personally thank you." Harvey began, as the other three faced him. Sebastian had stepped forward, next to Amelia's side with his facial expression unreadable.

"Oh, no need to thank us. Frankly, it wasn't really our intention since the original plan was to destroy the monastery." Sebastian had informed the redhead nonchalantly. Harvey chuckled awkwardly, "Was it now?" He scratches behind his head, "So, if Mia has not informed you yet, I do have a question, if you don't mind."

"Just spit it out." Ciel demanded.

"Is your butler truly a demon?" his gray eyes stared at Ciel's exposed one and his right hand points to the butler. Sebastian smirked and took a step forward, with a gloved hand to his chest. "Ah, I am simply one _hell_ of a butler." Then, he drops that hand to his side, "Would there be anything more? Anything that you are _willing_ to ask?"

Harvey feels himself gulp, avoiding the demon's gaze but pushes on, "And... as what the angel said... you... you marked her. And for what reason exactly? To feast upon her soul? To enslave her to you for eternity?" 

The butler narrows his eyes, as he didn't like the measly human stepping in on  _their_ business. Somehow, he felt that it was Amelia's right to ask those questions, and it was  _his_ right to decide when he was to tell the human lady. Sebastian knew what the earl was doing, trying to taunt him yet at the same time, scaring the brunette away from him. 

Amelia could only watch with an unreadable expression on her face. Deep inside, she nearly forgot about that important detail, the unfinished conversation with her cousin's butler. Should she believe the angel that nearly killed her, or must she confront the demon that never told a single lie? 

When Sebastian didn't respond to his questions, Harvey faces Amelia. "Did he even bother to tell you this, that he had already marked you for his own perversion? Is he seducing you, luring you into his arms so he could have his way with you?" 

"If there is one thing that my butler has been doing so faithfully, is that he does _not_ and will _never_ lie. To me, or anyone for that matter. That order is _absolute_." Ciel interrupts, as he was getting fed up by the redhead's idiocy that was wasting his time.

The housekeeper makes her mind up, "Harvey, what Sebastian and I have to do with each other is _our_ business alone. Stop sticking your nose in it."

"But I... I just won't be able to live with myself knowing that you're in the hands of some _thing_ like him!"

The lady frowns, "And you think it'll be better to leave myself in those hands of yours?" She scoffs, rolling her eyes in the process, exuding all the sass she could. "Might I remind you, _you_ were able to live so healthily after ending the engagement. The me, here right now and of tomorrow, belongs to _no one_ , whether or not I am marked by a demon, an angel, a reaper or even humans." Amelia grips on her chest, standing tall and proud.

" _I choose my own destiny and whatever you say will not sway me_."

Sebastian gasps softly, and if he had a heart, he knew it would've leapt 50 feet into the air and exploded. Ciel spares him a quick glance and could easily tell from the twinkle in his eyes that his butler was staring at his cousin as though she were some sort of goddess.

A goddess that he longed to have yet knew somehow, she was out of reach despite their close distance.

Needless to say, the young Phantomhive was utterly amused by the rare glimpses of emotion radiating from the demon.

Harvey lowers his head, and soon, his shoulders began to shake. The noble was laughing, "Splendid! Then if _I_ cannot have you, _no one will_!" The earl took the opportunity and brought out from behind his back a gun that he was holding in his left hand and aimed for the housekeeper's head.

He closed his eyes and he fired, fired, fired.

The earl expects to hear the sound of a falling body, or of screams and cries. 

But it never came.

Harvey opens his eyes to check, his face trickling with sweat. He could feel the air being knocked out of him, and his knees gave out. ' _She's... she's alive?!_ ' The earl opens his mouth to speak, but Sebastian beats him to it, " _'How?'_ you may ask, when the answer is already before you." 

The butler reveals his majestic fuchsia eyes, glowing dangerously as he shows the redheaded human the three bullets caught in between his fingers. He grabs Harvey's trembling hand that had already dropped the gun and placed the bullets in his palm. "You're already such a grown man and yet you still play with such a toy so carelessly, my lord." 

Amelia smirks, "That's because he is but a wee lad." Then her face becomes stern, "You could have just left silently with a little farewell and yet you chose this hellish path. You should have stayed in the light, because you do not belong to the darkness of the underground."

Ciel touches his eye-patch with an exasperated sigh, "Too bad Earl Spencer, but Mia is right. You have seen far too much, heard too much; even for _my_ liking."

Sebastian takes another step towards him, watching the other nobleman clambering to his feet but failing. "Mia, please do me a favor and close your eyes until I tell you to open them." 

The brunette pouted, wanting to see what Sebastian would do and how Harvey would look like upon being confronted with his life on the line. The lady then sighed before she did what was ordered of her to do, " _Fine_ , just make it quick."

Harvey's eyes were wide open, grey eyes frantically staring up at the demon before him and his whole body shook. His surroundings changed, and suddenly all he could see was black, surrounded by it, and the sky was hued a bloody red. In the midst of it all, there before him were Sebastian's purple-pink irises and slitted pupils, as well as the demon's fangs, preparing to speak.

" _ **I hope you do understand the predicament you have gotten yourself into. If you reveal our little secret, what do you think would become of you?**_ "

Harvey shrieked, "No! I will never tell! Never!"

Sebastian's silhouette appeared from behind him and whispered into his ear. " **Very well then, I shall remind you of one last thing: I may have marked Amelia however, _I leave the decision in her hands_. Please do not liken me to you. Are we clear?** "

Harvey has no time to be offended by that, as fear took over his being. It even took what he has left to nod.

" **Do not forget those words and the oath you've made, Earl Spencer.**   _ **We will always be watching you.**_ "

The redheaded earl froze in his spot and looked around him. For one last time, he screamed in terror while he held onto his head, losing his sanity and fainted. The demon stops his taunting, leaving Harvey passed out on the ground.

"Hopefully whichever house he belongs to, they would come retrieve him here,"

"You didn't have to go that far, Sebastian." 

The butler turns to the owner of that voice, and finds himself staring at a pair of greens. Sebastian raises a brow, "Not even thanking me for scarring your supposed-to-be husband?"

Amelia rolls her eyes, "We still have yet to discuss something, butler. And I never asked you to scar the poor boy. He brought this upon himself and he deserves much worse." Then, she walks ahead, bypassing Sebastian. The housekeeper's eyes fell on Harvey for a while, and her two male companions watched.

She lifts her foot and kicks, or more accurately, steps on the man's undefended groin; making sure that the heel landed a great deal of damage. The brunette mutters under her breath, " _Bastard_."

Ciel sighs, glad that the case and the scene Harvey caused has now ended. Wordlessly, he begins trudging on, as they hear the distant sound of horses approaching. However, judging by the looks on his two servants' faces, flanking him from behind, the events of that day and what has been revealed, is yet to be closed. 

* * *

The dynamic trio was on a carriage once again, but instead of heading back to the main mansion, they stopped by the townhouse to get a change of clothes. After which, Ciel decided to finish his business in the city and was now, travelling to the Undertaker.

Inside, Amelia sat across him, and beside her was the butler. The ride was silent and the two maintained a fair enough distance between them. He mused that the demon was trying to pick at the human lady's mind, trying to figure out just what was on her mind.

Ciel could feel the tension but chose not to speak of it. It wasn't his business to fix things between them so long as they effectively do their jobs. ' _Besides, seeing Sebastian at a loss is quite a sight to behold._ '

The brunette takes a breath, then looks out the carriage window, buildings and people all ablur as they passed by. "Ah, I did forget to tell you how Harvey discovered my identity."

She continues to make light conversation, a poor attempt to at least lessen the heaviness in the air. 

Amelia bows her head, apologizing, _"If you ever need me, or if you are done with your business here, I will only be... at the Chapel. Don't worry, Ciel. I'm sure this will... end soon; I'll be fine, so,"_ she turns around and begins to limp her way back. The young lad can only watch as Amelia walks away.

The brunette tries to hug herself just to be rid of the pain, to no avail. She mutters a few curses occasionally, at feeling slight guilt over leaving her companions and at herself for being so affected physically without understanding the cause of her aching body.

Through her wincing, Amelia fails to notice an uneven part of the chapel's interior pavement. The housekeeper trips and lands rather harshly on her belly.  _"Gah, ow... what luck has been bestowed upon me,"_

Lighthearted chuckling fills her ears that soon reddened with heat, and she was relieved somehow that her hair was down to hide it. She looks at the source of the laughing, and there she sees the redheaded familiar face of the noble, his hand outstretched, offering her some help.

Amelia gulps, nerves making itself known to her through the sudden churning she felt inside her guts.

_"You should be more careful Miss; it's something to be thankful for that your face or your nose didn't take much damage."_

' _I can never forget that voice. It... it really is him._ ' Hesitantly she took the man's hand, and she was pulled to her feet.

_"You look like you're only new to this place. Let me introduce myself, I am Earl Russel Harvey Spencer. You are?"_  That moment, Amelia's hunches were confirmed so quickly that her eyes widened and she froze in her spot. Their eyes met and Harvey only smiled at him, looking handsome—thought not more handsome than a certain demon.

The only thing that snapped them out of their staring moment was that Amelia's necklace that had managed to escape her uniform's turtle-neck design, fell to the floor.

Harvey was first to react since the housekeeper was somehow in a daze, though the pain remained there, buzzing through her. Her eyes follow the man's every action, ' _Just… of all places,_ of all people _, damn it… why him!?_ '

_"You have a nice necklace, Miss. It reminds me of… someone,"_ he pauses, then takes a second look at Amelia. His brows furrow slightly, _"And to be honest, you resemble that someone."_ Harvey's grey eyes scan the key pendant in his hand, _"Oh? What's this, there's something written here... 'Am-mel'—!"_

The brunette grabbed the necklace from him and turned her back to Harvey, wearing the necklace once again. But it was too late.

_"It can't be… you… how… how are_ you _alive?"_

The brunette draws shapes on the window now, a hint of a sheepish grin on her lips. "Then, you know the rest. I wasn't thinking straight that moment, since you know… he's my…" she trailed off. 

"Is your neck doing fine?" Even Sebastian's sudden question surprises Ciel. Amelia sharply turns her head towards him, caught off guard, whilst feeling for the bruises on her skin. "Surprisingly, it feels like it's already healed,"

"Then that's good to know." 

"It's weird having you seem to worry over me. For exact reasons I have yet to know."

Luckily for Ciel, the carriage comes to a halt, as he wouldn't be able to bear what could have transpired after the lady's last statement.

The three of them went inside the Undertaker's shop and they immediately began to discuss some stuff relating the cult case. The trio wasn't too surprised to find William and Grell in there too.

The Undertaker asked Grell to place some tea into beakers to serve the young earl, who, was now sitting atop a coffin across the legendary reaper, whilst his two servants stood behind him.

"By the way, what was the reason for you being at the Library? As long as I can remember, you retired from an active duty." William turned his head towards the silver-gray-haired reaper, changing the subject.

Meanwhile, Grell placed another beaker on a small tray and slowly made his/her/its way to give it to Undertaker, and winked at him a few times—four times, actually—when the guy got the beaker.

"Well, there is something I remembered to do, thanks to him." Undertaker's usual playful tone was disregarded this time, then his index points to Grell.

"M-Me…?"

The redheaded reaper looked shocked, confused at the other reaper's reason. "I completely forgot to return those Cinematic Records."

"What do you mean?" Ciel asked.

Undertaker raised another finger, exposing his pale skin and long, black nails even further. "And amongst the books I borrowed were those of Mr. and Mrs. Phantomhive—your parents."

Ciel fails to hide his surprise, a sharp gasp escaping his lips. 

"Genuine Cinematic Records, unaltered by the angel. Do you wish to see them? What's written inside?"

Sebastian's eyes darted quickly to his master and waited for his reaction. Amelia wasn't slow not to see that, and bit her lower lip as she listened.

The Phantomhive lad recollects himself, "No thanks, there is no need for that." He grabbed his tophat from beside him on the coffin and wore it. "Let's go, Sebastian, Mia."

"As you wish."

Ciel made his way out the door and the two servants followed behind him. Amelia stopped and turned to face the reapers inside and waited for Sebastian. Together, they bowed their heads before the butler closed the door to Undertaker's shop.

After that, Undertaker's grin widened as he chuckled. " _ **How interesting~**_ "

The three of them were out on the streets, walking, and Sebastian looked at his master from behind with curiosity.

"Are you sure about your decision Master? If you read the books, you could easily identify your opponents."

"I don't care."

The demon lifts a brow, a corner of his lips tugging up, " _Oh_ , are you being sentimental?"

" _No_ , it's just that…" The image of his disfigured parents in the burning mansion bore into Ciel's mind, causing him to pause in his thought. ' _Coming into contact with that abomination once more…_ '

Ciel's voice was low, nearly a murmur under his breath, continuing where he left off. "I don't like to disturb the peace of the dead, over and over again." 


	45. Missing Piece

Months passed since the angel made its appearance, and somehow, they hoped it would be the last.

However, the letters coming from the Queen doesn't meet its end.

Soon after the Preston Abbey mission, Her Majesty, the Queen Victoria, delivered another task to Earl Phantomhive. The letter included tickets to a travelling circus troupe in London, as it was being suspected of being behind the sudden disappearances of children. 

It took a while to solve the case, and the dynamic trio had to go undercover and become members of the circus to fully investigate. However, along with that was discovering something quite disturbing for Ciel and how he is connected with the circus master. 

Even Amelia has had her moments, still on the process of grasping and accepting her fate caused by the demon. However, his actions often betrayed his words and thus, the human began to distance herself in hopes of the demon to just let her go. 

The case was solved, but the Queen doubted and felt that the young earl had left a huge part of the information told to her as concealed and "missing". With narrowed eyes, she soon sent forth yet another letter, this time with "Double Charles" and not her trusty butler, Ash Landers.

The details included having Ciel to host a banquet, and have the Guest of Honor, Lord Siemens, be treated with utmost hospitality. However, as the nights carried on with a heavy storm outside, the nobles were trapped, trying to figure out who among them was the killer. 

Ciel saw beforehand that the whole thing was a test for him to redeem himself. That was why he and his butler pulled the strings from behind, to trap Woodley and frame him up as a murderer. This left Charles Grey quite frustrated, wanting to arrest the little Phantomhive and catching him in the game.

But Ciel was a game master and carefully manipulated the pawns at his disposal. 

Sebastian even had to fake his death, something that Amelia found amusing and wondered what her life would have been, had she not met the demon or had her cousin had a different butler. 

After Sebastian was found out to still be living, Amelia only watches the other servants, their Indian acquaintances and Elizabeth, jump to him whilst still inside his casket. They share a glance after he says, "he does not tell lies" to her young sister. And what meaning that gaze held is left unknown.

Amelia also kept her birthday secret, as it was after that recent murder case and she's intent on not wanting to celebrate. She found no meaning in doing so. She stayed up late the night before her birthday, unable to sleep for all she could see were nightmares. She doesn't let herself go out of her room, since she didn't want to come across the butler. The brunette turns to her remedy: the music box.

However, soon as she opens it, the tune that played wasn't the usual lullaby but a faint, birthday song. 

Sebastian meanwhile, always stood outside her room ever since their return from the circus, leaning on the wall beside her door. He heard the music box, and decides to do something human-like to try and please his mate, even in the smallest way possible, to get her to talk to him again. Even if he wasn't too much of a fan of celebrating the anniversary of a human's birth, since this urged him that her time with him lessened by a year, Sebastian would still want to cheer her up.

Especially after hearing faint sobs from her bedroom that night.

At the end of the day, Amelia stands outside, in the garden. She knew she was being watched by the demon, and finally talks to him, already having a hunch that he heard the music box. Then she whispers, "Vegetable soup," and leads him back to the kitchen to make her favorite dish her real mother used to do. 

Sebastian watches her cook, and how she ate the food in silence. He mutters, as some kind of complaint, that if only he were a human, he'd have tasted it. Amelia tells him it was nothing to be bothered about, because she could never have done it the same way her mother ever did. She reassures him further, that she was fine and knew she had no reason to be sulking. With a small smile, she thanks him for the concern before leaving Sebastian alone.

Ever since, their relationship has been "normal", but the demon knew he was, still, quite unforgiven. Despite that, he preferred to respect her decision. Until the day she outright tells him to remove his mark on her, would be the only time he would truly end things with the human.

Now, a new story is about to unfold. 

What would happen once a pawn moves on its own?

There were two males, a kid and an old man, with the latter rowing the boat they were riding on. A single lamp was their only source of light as the younger one stood and collected trash from the river.

"Believe me, in the past you can swim in this river. But now, because of London's polluted water, the river's become a rubbish dump."

From behind them, the child gasped at the sight of a bigger boat, a ship, approaching. "M-Mister Harvard! What's that?!"

The white-bearded man turned his head to look at what the kid was referring to, "Oh, that? That's Cutty Sark. It was rumored to be made to deliver tea from China for the nobility." He explained.

"Is it faster than the steam-driven ship?"

"According to the sailors, as long as there is wind, this ship doesn't lose to any other ship."

"Ah, I see... Cutty Sark…"

Their eyes stayed focused on the ship called Cutty Sark. "This is the name of a demon girl. If you stare at her for long enough, you'll be caught by her." Then, their eyes landed on the replica of a woman on the ship.

"So by getting on this ship, people can go to countries far, far away?" The child avoids the topic about a demon, trying not to let it get to him. "Who knows? Because of the river trade in Egypt, this ship is not being used to deliver tea anymore. The era of old ships has ended."

The clouds cleared to reveal the crescent moon shining brightly against the darkened night sky. "A new era is beginning."

From a distance, a silhouette likened to that of Ranmao's could be seen jumping from roof to roof. This caught the kid's attention and murmured in question, "Cutty… Sark?"

The young lad snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something heavy get caught on his pick, causing him to look down. He was startled by what he saw, making him scream and fall back to the boat, landing on his bottom.

"What's the pro—!" the old man looked over as he spoke, and was also shocked to see a floating corpse of a man, with its back facing the surface.

* * *

People gathered around, watching as the police collected the corpse that the boy had gotten. Abberline was down on one knee while Lord Randall stood beside him.

"He doesn't look like someone from around here." says a police.

"I see."

"It must be the work of bandits. He was killed somewhere else and dumped here." Randall murmured; thinking of what possible situations could have happened.

"The victim died from a hit on his vital. If it's bandits, the way they executed this was too clever."

The two of them continued on with their conversation, until Ciel's voice stopped them. "There’s no need for that. The man's name is John Stanmil. That is his background information."

The Scotland Yard turned to look at the earl being accompanied by his butler. Sebastian stepped forward to hand over an envelope to Randall.

He lifted the envelope from his side, "Please take a look at this." The elder man took the thing rather harshly, close to crumpling it, before pulling out a stack of papers from the envelope.

"What do you want?" Randall's voice was low as he asked the question to the Phantomhive earl. "Volunteering information is the duty of a citizen, is that not what you always say?"

Randall's eyes never peeled away from reading the papers as he answered back, "We both know that that’s not your real intention. What do you want? Say it, loud and clear."

"Then I'll be honest with you; I want to see the thing that man has been carrying."

Abberline shook his head before looking down at Stanmil's covered corpse. "I'm afraid we found nothing on him, not even any source of his identity."

Sebastian was staring down at the corpse as well, before his head turned to the side, making eye contact with the kid that discovered the body.

The boy was startled, and quickly ran away from the scene. Sebastian's eyes narrowed, whilst Ciel answered, "Well then, thanks for your help, Abberline. Let's go, Sebastian."

The earl turned and began walking away, his butler following right behind him. Meanwhile, Randall spat out in a murmur as he glared at the two's retreating figures, " _That brat_."

"Why is Her Majesty always letting that kid…" Instead of having the same expression as Randall, Abberline's face looked pained and worried as he said, "The Queen's Dog…"

Ciel and Sebastian got on the carriage, and Tanaka began driving immediately. Sebastian looked at his master as the latter was in his usual scowl, making the butler break the silence between them. "What's the matter? Why the long face, My Lord?"

"Can I still smile happily in this situation?

"On the contrary, to me, your expression looks quite happy."

Ciel paused in thought before he answered, "I'm just a little bit unsure. You’re well aware that the information given was scarce."

The butler smiled his sickly sweet, yet obviously fake smile while his master thought back on the event that happened at the mansion earlier that day.

In the young earl's head, the image of Ash, the Queen's butler, was sitting on Ciel’s left hand side and drinking tea. Meanwhile, his own butler, Sebastian, stood southeast from where the white butler was seated.

"That man was working under the secret order of the Majesty—which means, he is a man from the Underworld, just like you." Ash informed, while Ciel was reading the sheet of paper containing Stanmil's information.

"The Queen's words are," the white-haired man paused, waiting for the young earl to look up at him, in which Ciel did so as the delay caught his attention.

" _'_ _I wish that Ciel, my boy, to find_ something _that the man was carrying at that time and take care of it.'_ "

As Ash spoke, he pulled out an envelope out of thin air, and Ciel asked to confirm something, "Her Majesty does not wish to find the culprit?"

The white butler gave him a sweet smile, too sweet that it seemed fake enough already, and replied with a nod of his head before he added. "Your mission is to handle  _that thing_ ; no more and no less."

"And what  _is_  that thing?"

"Ah, it is a secret."

Ciel opened the envelope and asked in disbelief, annoyance slightly obvious in his tone, although the expression on his face still remained the same. "Well, how could I find it then?"

Ash sliced his cake with a bit of force, and the sound of the knife coming in contact with his plate echoed through the room and startled the young earl. His voice was low and his face rather unreadable. "She said, even to the most trusted loyal dog," he paused.

His eyebrows rose and purple eyes narrowing as he looked back at Ciel. "This is  _forbidden content_." He stabbed the sweet treat with a fork and raised it with a closed-eye smile, the fake one similar to Sebastian's. "Therefore, do not try to confirm the content of  _the thing_  out of curiosity."

Those were the last words of that conversation.

Ciel returned to his usual, devising self and said, "First, we must look carefully at the situation; the reason for Stanmil's murder."

"Was it by chance the he was killed or maybe…"

"That he was killed because of his mission." Sebastian's face was filled with seriousness as he finished his master's sentence. "Then, what shall we do with searching for a witness?"

"We'll leave that to the Yard. If it's about the Romans, we'll have to ask a Roman. The crime scene belongs to  _his_  turf."

* * *

Amelia was walking around the London townhouse, making sure no mess was to be made as much as possible. And she realized, this was the first time that Ciel didn't make nor ask her to tag along with them. She thinks back to their conversation before the two men left.

"Mia, stay here and take care of the place instead. With Snake as an addition to Pluto and the trio, I wouldn't want to return to it completely destroyed." The brunette sighed at Ciel's command, either in relief or dejectedly, and bowed slightly before turning on her heel to leave him and Sebastian alone, not even sparing the butler a glance.

' _I wanted to go because I want to know the case, and also to protect Ciel. Even if Sebastian is there, another pawn at his command is still better than just a lone knight._ ' the housekeeper's brows furrow as she talks in her mind. ' _Perhaps it's Ciel's way of giving me some space? Well, is it my fault?_ ' her tongue clicks with force, and a soft mewling catches her attention.

Amelia looks to her left, seeing Ery the official and only pet cat allowed for the butler to have, staring at her intently. She immediately picks the cat up, scratching behind its ear. A small smile crept its way to her lips, feeling Ery purring at her touch.

" _What happened?_ " 

The question Ciel asked her a few weeks ago confused her. It echoes in her mind until now, and even she herself wanted to know the answer to it. 

" _What do you mean?_ " she replied then, and only received a roll of Ciel's eyes. He was having his afternoon snack inside his study, as he was busy with paperwork. The young lad happened to have one of Sebastian's delicious cakes, and Ciel ends up stabbing a piece before taking it in his mouth. The action made a loud, clinking sound with the fork and plate's harsh contact.

It even made Amelia wince, and wince harder at her cousin's words. " _Don't play dumb with_ me _, Mia. Something's quite off, between you two. Even_ he  _cannot hide it from me._ "

" _...I still do not understand what you're trying to pin at, Ciel._ " 

The earl swallows as he stares at her briefly, before taking a sip of his tea. Ciel was not blind, and even if his butler was usually harder to read, his cousin was more of the easy way to find answers.

To him, it was all just a game, a way to tease his annoying butler at least, before their contract is done. The knowledge of the demon's peculiar nature of having soul-mates even fed that desire. But if his cousin is by all means hurt in  _any_ way, Ciel knew he had a say in it somehow. 

However, Amelia was being difficult to him at that time. That was his way of reaching out to her, the nicest way he could, and still, the brunette was avoiding the topic.

" _I knew about the... soul-mate thing, even before you did. It was none of my concern nor my right to be the one to inform you of it. Even the mark; although I am certain that he was planning on telling you at some point. Certain events just got ahead of him, I suppose._ " Ciel began to explain, taking two bites at a leisure pace. His focus never strayed from the housekeeper while he spoke. Amelia listened anyway, unable to think of any proper reply.

" _I have no idea about what conversation you two shared or steps he took about your situation. I must say, I_ do  _understand having to be somehow, coerced into having a 'connection' with him in a way. But unlike mine,_ you are free to be set free." 

Amelia gasps, then bites her tongue. She wanted to tell the earl, so much, and pour everything out on the boy but she didn't want to add on to his growing pile of burden, and agrees that Ciel has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening between her and his butler. ' _He's right, I have it better. I can confront Sebastian and end whatever bond we have. But why do I feel so empty at just the thought of that?_ ' her thoughts were swirling, and she could feel a headache coming along.

The housekeeper sighs heavily, trying to keep her emotions in check. " _I must look so pathetic to you right now, do I not? I just... need more time I guess._ " 

' _More time for what, exactly?_ ' the cousins both wondered in their heads. 

Ciel finishes his cake and Amelia went closer to tidy the mess on his desk. " _I'm on neither side, but if your private matters begin to affect your work, only then must I step in and intervene. No worries, this discussion remains between us._ " The brunette attempts one of her bright smiles, but it's not the same. She finishes cleaning up, and the young earl dismisses her.

Up to this day, Amelia feels a bit of shame that everything had to go that far. She knew she had to understand herself more, she had to find it in her whether she wanted to be a demon's mate or not. Pain is already something inevitable. But which would cause her more of it: removing the mark or choosing to stay by the demon's side?

' _The demon who will sooner or later eat my dear cousin,_ ' 

The brunette sighed, continuing her trip around the townhouse, organizing her thoughts and emotions. ' _Basically, I'm just being childish by now. But not too childish as I am maintaining a civil relationship with him. I need to know, how much do I want this, do I want him? More importantly,_ how much does he want me?' 

By her feet, walking beside her was Sebastian's furry and only-allowed kitten, Ery. Amelia thought back once more to when they had inspected his room to look for Ciel's room's key.

The young master was so unlucky to have opened that cabinet filled with stray cats that his demon butler had kept behind his back. Ever since Sebastian was found out to be "still alive", Ciel immediately ordered for those cats to be disposed of, forcing the butler be contented with Ery. But it was utterly obvious that Sebastian still held a connection with all his fluffy pets.

Amelia let a small smile grace her lips and she picked up the animal whilst clicking her tongue. "What shall I ever do with your owner, Ery?" And the two of them seemed to be having a conversation, as she came across Pluto, who, was surprisingly in his human form.

"Come to think of it, it really has been a while since I have last spent time with you and the others." The lady said, patting the demon hound's head and ruffling his hair. Pluto began to blush and wag his tail. In response, Ery "slapped" the human with her paw, making the housekeeper draw back in shock.

"Aw, are you jealous, Ery? Don't worry, I can share the love." The brunette chuckled as she kept petting the two Phantomhive pets; although this time she sat on the floor. "You are being influenced by Sebastian, are you not? Being possessive and all…" Ery stared back at Amelia's green eyes as though the animal was caught red handed.

"Alright, I need to have some fresh air. Talking to animals like these knowing that they won't answer me is a bad sign. Although, they _do_ give me some comfort," the housekeeper stood up and walked with the two animals flanking by her side, until she heard another round of breaking things and crying.

"Well, I guess it's time to stop slacking off."

* * *

Sebastian pushed the wooden double-doors open, revealing a dark and smoky place filled with people getting stoned. He and his master walked inside, with the latter covering his small nose with his gloved hand. They basically welcomed themselves inside Lau's opium den.

"Such a terrible smell." Ciel grunted as he kept walking closer to where the Chinese man was. "So you have finally decided to come here, Earl. It's strange that I'm standing like this with you."

As the pair got closer, going through a thick layer of smoke, it was revealed to them that Lau was actually sitting, with Ranmao on his lap, and four more other Chinese girls around him.

"But I've always believed this day would come." Lau continued to his previous statement.

A tick mark appeared on Ciel's forehead, "What kind of a day?!" Meanwhile, Sebastian only looked at the sight before them with a bored and slightly disgusted expression, if one would observe his face for quite a time.

"Welcome, Earl. It has been a while." Lau said, his eyes still closed as he raised the arm that was once wrapped around a random Chinese girl, to acknowledge Ciel's presence.

"Forget the formalities, Lau. I just have to ask you a question."

"You're _so_ impatient," he paused to rub his other hand on the small of Ranmao's back. "For the Earl to grace this small cellar with his presence, it must be because of  _that_."

"You already knew about it? As expected of the Head of the British Branch of the Chinese trade company, 'Kunlun'—or rather—Head of the Mafia gang in Shanghai: Lau."

The Chinese man tilted his head to the side, small brows scrunching up slightly,  "I don't really like that title; it's much too serious. Is that not right, Ranmao?" Lau made the girl face him and she nodded silently.

"The management of this vicinity is yours, so you should know well the things happening in this city." The Phantomhive boy stated as a matter of fact, his tone commanding. Lau removed his hand from Ranmao's face and proceeded to caressing her back once more.

"Of course, as per the order of the Earl, since this is the place where I can work secretly in this country. But speaking of which, Earl, I too, have a question to ask." He pauses for effect and says his usual innocent question, "Which event are you talking about?"

Ciel sweat-dropped, "Why you—!" The lad's cursing would be cut off, with Sebastian commenting after the demon was being too silent during the nobles' discussion. "In the end, he was just going along with us, really. Playing pretend like he always does."

Lau chuckled at the butler's words. Ranmao then, gets the hint to get off of him, and he stood. "Let's continue our conversation upstairs, the air here isn't good."

"Why don't you just leave this den be? You used to do that when you were in China."

Lau only walked past him while murmuring something like a metaphor relating to a butterfly. He stopped in his tracks and tilted his head back to look towards the pair, especially at the little eye-patched boy, "In this world, Earl, there are people who cannot survive because of the cruel reality. That is why,"

His eyes open for a short moment, revealing his brown irises. "I sell those people dreams."

* * *

**A/N:** **I'm sure the first half of this chapter, you might all be confused, "Where's the details?" I hope you're not forgetting the side-story fic that I haven't updated yet in like a legit long while. Yes, it will _all_ be there. ~~Including the nsfw chapter~~. So y'all have some more stuff to look forward to yep.**

**So that's it! Hit me up in the comments or message me. I'll be back with another chapter soon. Adieu~**


	46. Arrested

Abberline can be seen roaming around the streets of London, trying to look for anyone who can identify Stanmil, but to no avail. He ended up entering a certain shop wherein he conversed with a middle-aged lady who manages the place.

"I'm sorry, but unfortunately I've never seen this man before." The lady said, her voice another sign of her age. Abberline nods stiffly with a look of dejectedness, and was about to keep the paper in his coat's pocket when the lady decided to change the topic. "Ah, besides that, how are you and Caroline going?"

The question surprised Abberline, stammering out his reply, "W-Well, actually we... we are…" he stepped closer and leaned in with his hand by the old woman's ear, whispering the rest of his statement. Whatever his message was, it made the woman draw back in shock, a gasp escaping her wrinkly lips. She then squeezes both of the investigator's shoulders, "Oh my! Congratulations, my boy!" she hugged him for quite a while as if he were her son.

When she pulls away, the old woman nudges him playfully and wiggles what's left of her brows, " _Brilliantly done~_ " she grinned, more than pleased with the news that Abberline was soon to be a father. 

Though this didn't last long as a thought came to her, "But, isn't this bad? You're a constable. If you don't get wed soon…" Abberline tilted his head to the side, adding another vital information, "I've already proposed to her."

"And her response is?"

In reply, the man looked down, blushing slightly as he smiled softly. The woman quickly understood what it meant and exclaimed, "I see, I see! That's very good news! The two of you, without any relatives, can finally raise a family of your own."

"That's why I want to make this a safer city. A city that is safe enough for children to grow." Abberline claims, determination evident on his face and voice.

The woman wiped the tears off her eyes, as though she had short flashback of her own as she took care of the young Abberline and his now, bride-to-be. "I understand, my boy. If something happens, you must, at all costs, tell me." Abberline nods in agreement before bidding the old lady a small farewell, opening the door and waving the middle-aged lady goodbye.

During their little discussion, it would seem that one of her customers was exchanging a few pieces of coins and what looked to be as candy under the table, with a man that sat across him. It was as though, they simply waited for the investigator to leave before their illegal transaction took place.

* * *

"That's right. In this vicinity, what can involve human lives has to be drugs. Recently, someone has been selling a new product." Ranmao's arms were loosely wrapped around Lau's neck from behind him as he informed the young earl.

Sebastian stood behind Ciel, as his master was sitting across the Chinese man while they conversed. Lau continued, "Actually, this has become a headache for me."

"A new product?"

"Yes, and it is rumored to be more effective than opium. They call it, ' _Lady Blanc_ '."

"Lady Blanc, you say?" Ciel's visible eye widened slightly, and the image of a certain killer angel went through his mind. "Oh? Is something the matter?" Lau asked, aware that the little Phantomhive possibly. Ciel shook off the thought and looked down, "Nothing, let's get back to the topic."

"What was the person's name again; the one that was found at Regent Dock?" Lau ignored the earl's actions and continued. At this, Sebastian went near him, to hand a small piece of paper filled with brief information about Stanmil.

"His name is John Stanmil, although I'm afraid it is just an alias." Sebastian said as the Chinese man got the paper in between his fingers and began reading. Lau hummed disapprovingly, "How unfortunate it is, that I have not heard of this name. Though, I am aware of most drug dealers," he paused and gave Ran-Mao a better view of the paper. "Ran-Mao, does he seem familiar to you?"

The girl of a few words only shook her head in disagreement and Lau gave the paper back to the butler. "Well, those are our answers that we can only provide."

Ciel nodded and crossed his arms, "I just need to find  _the_   _thing_  that he was carrying." At the mention of such, the interest of the Chinese noble perked up, "The ' _thing_ '?" he repeats the phrase being emphasized by the Phantomhive lad. "Yes, I figured Stanmil was killed because of it. Also, I have something I want you to do." The boy replies, brows beginning to furrow as he paused, pondering over what he has to order Lau.

"What is it, Earl?" the smile never leaving Lau's face.

Ciel breathes, and with his voice full of authority, he commands, "I want you to spread a rumor that the dead man found at the dock seemed to have obtained something important." To which, Lau replies to immediately, "Consider it done, my Earl; but I'd like to learn of the reason behind it."

"If that rumor gets around, the person behind Stanmil's murder, who, also would've obtained  _the_   _thing_  will suspect its authenticity. Therefore, it will be _I_ who would be the killer's next target."

Lau lets out a sound of amusement, "I see now, you're acting as the bait. Nothing less to be expected from the Queen's loyal dog." Ciel said nothing to this as Lau leaned in, causing Ranmao to loosen her grasp around the man.

"Earl, although I have asked you this before, but why are you so loyal to _her_ when all she does is make such extreme demands from you?" Lau's tone seems to imply that  _he_ was the one getting tired from all the missions and cases being sent for Ciel to do. 

The young boy looked away, "Someone who has left his own country and floated around another like grass without its roots would never understand."

Lau's smile got wider as he leaned back, and immediately, Ran-Mao's arms were around him again. "I suppose you could say that." He lets out a soft chuckle, undeterred by the earl's words.

Soon, Ciel and his butler leaves, with Lau watching their carriage pull away from the second storey window. "Then, Chao, as the Earl wanted… could you spread some information around for me?" The Chinese underworld noble turns his attwntion to a man with black cropped hair, and brown eyes that stood before his desk. Chao stepped forward while his boss speaks, "He's obtained some kind of document from the dead man's body."

"Sir, a document?"

Lau turned his head back to the window and spoke aloud to himself, "Earl, in what we've been involved in together; this could become the best game."

In some other street of London, Abberline was standing in front of a shop named, "G.W. Pawnbrokers" and was staring at two rings he was choosing from to propose to his beloved one.

Meanwhile, the kid that caught Stanmil's dead body was hiding behind a corner and was debating with himself whether to approach the inspector or not. He pulled down his cap and looked back, only to see that Abberline was already walking away.

The boy chased after him but was stopped by a man, white from his head down to his feet. "Why, hello there, young lad." He greets the boy with a serene smile, his voice sweeter than a Phantomhive candy.

"H-Huh..?" he looked up at Ash who was chuckling at his surprised face. "I heard from Mister Harvard, you were picking up rubbish at Regent Dock this morning." Ash said, bending slightly towards the boy.

Although the boy took a step back as he nodded, Ash still continued to lean in, completely towering over the kid. "Then, could you tell me about the demon girl you saw? _Cutty Sark_ , was it not?"

The boy's blue eyes widened while Ash only smiled down at him dangerously.

At the same time, in another random part of London as well, the servants were currently shopping for supplies and the likes. The only servants that were left at the townhouse were Pluto, Snake and of course, Tanaka.

"Alright, that's all we need." Amelia said, looking at her list, as Finnian and Mey-rin placed a huge amount of different materials onto the counter.

The cashier lady jotted down onto a small notebook and strikes a conversation with the other servants. "Hey, you and Mey-rin both work in the Phantomhive manor right?"

"We work there, yes we do!" Mey-rin responded first.

Amelia watches the cashier lady's little fidgety movements, deeming her as suspicious. "Why did you ask, miss?" the housekeeper raises an eyebrow slightly as she asks. The cashier lady leaned in, covering her mouth with the notebook she held to whisper, "It's… uhm, can you get  _it_  for me?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes as the cashier lady handed her and the cherry-haired maid two pieces of Funtom candy for each of them. Amelia simply shoves the candies into her pocket before paying. The cashier lady even waved at them in a friendly manner, as they went back to the carriage where Bardroy was waiting.

* * *

Sebastian and his master arrived back before their servants and the latter was in one of the many rooms, leaning on a couch as the butler served him tea and sweets.

"A woman in white, he says… Sebastian? Do you think that this murder is linked to  _that_  woman?"

"You're like a lost little dog," Sebastian placed the fresh cup of tea on the table before Ciel. "I'm just your game piece. Is it not comical to ask your piece for... a _piece_ of advice?" He couldn't help the smug smirk on his lips at his successful dropping of a pun.

The Phantomhive earl took into consideration his butler's words _and_ disregarded the lame joke that came with it. He was far too engrossed with the case at hand plus the other factors in his life to pay his demon's sense of humor any mind. "I'm still here. That means my wish has not been realized yet."

"Yes, that's right."

"Therefore, I'm still obeying _her_ , acting as a dog. As a descendant of the Phantomhives, I'm the same as before—the same as my numerous ancestors—nothing has changed. Even so…"

Sebastian only looked down on his master with a frown on his face. Ciel was about to say more until Mey-rin's scream from just outside the room cut him off.

"H-He's too heavy!" Mey-rin's voice shook since the demon hound tackled her to the ground. The brunette housekeeper tried to shoo Pluto away but it didn't work. "Pluto! Stop it! Get off the poor lady!"

"Let her go, you stupid dog!" Bardroy tried pulling the demon hound. Then, a few snakes wrapped around Pluto's ankles. Snake stood a little behind Amelia, one of his friends around his arm. "We'll help as well, ... _says Goethe_."

Sebastian opened the door and he and Ciel stepped out. A tick mark appeared on his master's forehead. "Sebastian, do something about that stupid dog."

"Understood." The demon pauses before turning his attention to their excited pet. "Well then, Pluto." Sebastian began as he stepped forward. " _Leave the house_." His voice was dangerously low that evwn the snakes quickly detached themselves from the demon hound.

As Pluto looked up at the demon, he cringed and drew back after seeing Sebastian's eyes glow dangerously, even emitting a dark aura. Pluto howled and ran away.

"Just what happened with it?" Amelia murmurs, and helps the maid up. "You need not go that far for me, Mey-rin. You should not have blocked his path with yourself; who knows what it could have done?"

"B-But... I was just w-worried... about you, yes! Soon as we entered, he... I-I saw him jump, yes!" At this, the butler concluded that Pluto was actually aiming for Amelia instead of the maid.

"Could it be puberty?" Bardroy suggested, making Sebastian look at the chef dully due to the stupid answer. The butler sighed, looking at the housekeeper, "He seemed interested in your pocket, Mey-rin."

"Something smells weird in Swan's _and_ the maid's pocket, ... _says Wordsworth_." Snake said quietly, to which, Amelia pulls out the candies from her pocket. She motions for Mey-rin to do the same and her subordinate follows. She shows the candies to Sebastian, "Nothing else is in our pockets but these. The lady from the store gave them, however, I'm not so sure that these really are from the Funtom Company." Her eyes dart over to Ciel, lookimg at him pointedly as he stood quietly a little beside Sebastian. 

"It's very popular in London! Seems that it gets sold out everywhere, yes it does!"

"Since we didn't know about these candies, the gentle lady gave them to us!"

Mey-rin and Finnian followed up cheerily, touched by the kind gesture of the cashier lady. But their lady boss still wasn't convinced, "She says that even the adults are big fans for when they eat it, they feel relaxed; as though you've gone to _Paradise_."

Ciel raises a brow, feeling a sinking feeling at the mention of such an angel-related word, but shook it off.

"Stop for a moment!" Tanaka suddenly appeared in his full, human form and grabbed a candy from Amelia's hand. It takes him less than a few seconds to investigate and confirm the brunette's hunches, "Young Master Ciel, Mia is right: these candies aren't from our company."

"Wh-what?!"

"The wrapper is genuine but the quality management of our company is not bad enough to leave ball-like substances to pass as candies and push them out into the market." Tanaka explained and licked the piece he was holding. His aged eyes widened, "Young Master, this is—!" he wasn't able to finish his thought when he suddenly deflated, releasing steam around them.

Finnian exclaimed, "Oh no! Time's up!"

The ball of candy rolled its way to Sebastian, causing the butler to pick it up with his gloved index and thumb. The raven-haired man sniffed and smelled the candy. "This is an anesthetic made from opium. It must have been refined from the said matwrial. And perhaps, what Mr. Lau had mentioned to us earlier." 

"… _Lady Blanc_."

Amelia looks surprised at the mention of the familiar name and gulps, ' _Damn it, I guess I should have come with them after all,_ ' After a while of silence, she suddenly thought of a bad scenario, "If this is the case then; Young Master, I believe you must hurry off to the main factory to check, before Scotland Yard or anyone else tries to pinpoint all these to you." Amelia warned after collecting the candy-drugs from the other servants.

Ciel sighed, infuriated and annoyed at the same time as he went back inside the room and sat on the couch. The two servants took this as a sign to follow him and the butler closes the door as they entered.

"There has to be another piece missing that would link them all together." Ciel murmured, clenching his fist that was placed on the table. He looked up and ordered his butler, "Sebastian, prepare a carriage immediately. As what Mia said, we have to get to the factory as soon as possible."

Sebastian bowed his head. "Understood." He turned on his heel, his eyes looking back at the cousins before exiting the room. Ciel got a piece of a sweet treat placed before him and ate it. After he'd swallowed the food, he looked back up at Amelia.

"I don't think you should come with us. If what you're saying turns out to be true, about the Yard that is," Ciel sighed and drank tea whilst his cousin looked at him with a raised brow: a clear sign of showing her disapproval.

"I wouldn't want you to get dragged along to whatever trouble there is to come."

Amelia scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Please, there is nothing for me to lose, except for you and the whole of this household. So I'll be going with you, no matter what happens! I will never leave your side,"

The Phantomhive earl slammed his hands on the table, causing the housekeeper to flinch back in shock. "You're staying here to keep this place in shape.  _That's an order_!"

" _Tch_. I'm not your demon, I can choose to follow you or not: you know that."

"Exactly. However, it would be best if you refrain from thinking of following us."

Amelia tried to say something but gave up on the thought with a sigh. She had no fight against her cousin, nothing she'll say would sway his decision and she knows this as well. "Just… just make sure you're back by midnight." She raised her hand towards her cousin in which Ciel accepted with a curt nod, shaking their hands together.

The housekeeper didn't let go so soon however, and instead had pulled the child into her arms for a comforting and protective hug. And for the first time, Ciel didn't bother nor did he push her away, and instead let himself feel the comforts of someone who uncannily understood.

* * *

"Hey, you bastard! What are you doing, sitting on  _my_  chair?!" Lord Randall slammed the doors behind him as he entered, upon seeing a mysterious guest on his swivel chair.

"That is my seat, the chair for the Head of Scotland Yard!"

Ash only chuckled at the old man's outburst. "Sitting here is quite an amazing feeling," he paused before turning around to face the angered man. "Quite comfortable, is it not, Lord Randall?"

Randall drew back in shock, gasping at the sight of the Queen's butler on his seat. "I-It's you…!"

" _That person_  has a message for you, Sir Arthur Randall. Now, if you would, please listen as this is concerning the Earl Phantomhive."

Randall's eyes narrowed at the mention of the name. "What about that  _brat_?" he spat out the word filled with venom.

"This is also regarding the murder at Regent Dock; only the culprit knows where to find the document that Her Majesty is looking for. Since there are rumours circulating about Earl Phantomhive obtaining it, please do arrest him along with Lau. Ah, we'll make up the crime for it so you shouldn't be worried."

Randall was still in surprise, stuttering, "Wh-What do we do after arresting them?" Ash only chuckled and grinned at the man before him, letting the older man interpret his response on his own.

A few moments after that certain conversation, guards were now in front of Lau's place. Inside, a single, lit candle gave off a little light as the Chinese man sat, holding some confidential letter in his hands.

"Ranmao," he called at his "half-sister", which was actually his personal assassin, looking down from the window behind him. The girl didn't turn around but instead, looked back at him through her yellow eyes.

"To never wake from the dream or never be able to dream; which one do you think is more unfortunate?" he asked her, although he already knew that she would not answer. "But whether it is a dream or reality… all things come to a certain end."

Lau blew the light out from the candle. Ranmao then, turned to him, her big yellow eyes void of any emotion as she murmurs, " _Shi da ge_."

Officers from the Scotland Yard came barging in through their room's double doors. "Don't make meaningless struggle!" yelled one of them. Ranmao would of course, defy such a command, so she got her two Chuí, attacked the men, and blood splattered on the walls as the men shrieked at their own death.

* * *

Sebastian was driving the carriage in one of the lone streets of London. "Head for the Candy Factory! Hurry!" Ciel ordered.

When he sat down inside, Ciel was thinking of the link between the dead body at Regent Dock, the Queen's order, and the reason behind why their company's candies have become a drug.

The drive was going smooth until Abberline bravely got in the middle of the street with both his arms out wide and yelled, "Halt!" Sebastian quickly pulled on the reins. However, this wasn't enough since the horses were on full speed so he pulled the lever break as well, causing the wheels to stop completely.

The carriage turned to the side, the wheels screeching across the stone road. When it finally froze in place, a few steps approached them coming from Abberline. Sebastian frowned upon at him, "How reckless of you; had it been someone else driving, you would have died."

Abberline placed his arms back to his side with a small smile, "I did that because I knew it was you, Sebastian." Yard officers suddenly rushed there, heels from their boots creating a noisy and clacking sound as Ciel opened the carriage door window, poking his head out. "Why did we stop, Sebastian?"

"Earl Ciel Phantomhive," Abberline began, making the young lad look at him. "You are under arrest for your involvement in the selling of dangerous and illegal medicine!"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, "Young Master," he quickly went to Ciel's aid and opened the door completely so that the latter can step out into full view. "You dare say  _you_  want to  _arrest_  me,  _the Earl of Phantomhive_? You, a mere  _constable_  and is not even a noble?" the kid mocked, his scowl in place.

"That's correct, Ciel, for you are suspected of selling drugs with the Chinese drug pusher, Lau."

"Lau?" he scoffed and let a smirk reach his lips. "Ridiculous! True, I've been using him as one of my little pawns in this game; but besides, Randall knows full well that he runs an opium cellar. If you've got someone to arrest, then it's simply him."

From one of the dark alleyways, Randall was slowly and silently stepping into view as Ciel continued to speak. "Lau trades in opium at his own risk, knowing that I wouldn't protect him when he gets in trouble."

"The Phantomhive Company has a warehouse in the dock, right?" Abberline questioned, which Ciel confirmed without a moment's hesitation. "We recently found a huge amount of opium in that warehouse."

Ciel's visible eye widened in shock, whilst the inspector continued to speak. "It's far too many to be considered as a personal hobby. The opium was even found in your candies."

The earl's hard voice softened in the slightest as he spoke through gritted teeth, "And Lau?"

"He's managed to escape. A number of officers went to arrest him however, he resisted, resulting to some of the officers' deaths and injuries. This is proof enough that he is guilty."

Sebastian turned to his master and in a low voice he spoke, "What are your orders, Young Master?" Ciel stepped down from the carriage thinking, ' _It's a good thing Mia isn't with us, but, should I let them arrest me here? Or maybe…_ '

"Sebastian, you—!"

"Shut your mouth, rotten brat!" Randall yelled as he walked near them, the other officers making way for him to pass. He was holding a gun in his hand, directly pointing to Ciel. "Abberline, have I not told you to separate him from his butler?" he reprimanded.

"Randall, do you really know what it means to point a  _gun_  at  _me_?"

"If you want to resist, go on ahead and try it." Randall said with a wicked smile on his face. "But that would put an end to your defiled name— ** _Phantomhive_**."

The young earl flinched and his eyebrows furrowed deeper. " _What_?"

"Her Majesty, has just sent direct orders to  _me_ , and _he_ made sure to deliver the Queen's message clearly." Randall's smirk became more evident on his face even in the dark.

' _He… meaning,_  Ash.'

"Under Her Majesty's name: until the suspicion is laid to rest, you—Earl Ciel Phantomhive—are under arrest and hereby suspended from all the privileges of being a noble! If you disobey and break the law, you shall be stripped off of your title!" Ciel grit his teeth while Sebastian held a frown and a stern look aimed at the noisy, ugly old man who needs to shave.

"And as for the man named Lau, who secretly does opium business and is the Head of the British branch of 'Kunlun', will be executed. Confess now; anything about Lau's whereabouts or even that document that you've hidden."

"It's quite a shame, I know nothing about that." Ciel replied monotonously as he thought, ' _That must be the missing piece of the puzzle_.'

Randall's eyes narrowed as he grinned, "I do want to torture you if I could but unfortunately, Her Majesty forbids it." He turned his head towards Sebastian. "In exchange, the butler would take your place."

Before the master-butler duo was separated from each other, Ciel whispered or maybe communicated telepathically, his order to Sebastian. " _Don't struggle. When the time comes, I'll call for you… and only then will we let them know what happens to those who humiliate me. Do you understand?_ "

Sebastian had shackles on his wrists and his heels clacked as he walked. The shackles acted as a leash on him, as a long chain was connected and being held by someone leading him into the torture chamber.

The iron door slammed shut as the demon was welcomed with different kinds of torturing materials that humans have produced over the years, spread across the room.

" _Yes, My Lord_."

In the Queen's castle, a pale hand reached for the white king standing on the chessboard. It then knocked the black knight over with a soft clack.

Angela leaned on that person's shoulder, a wide and wicked smile spread across her lips.

* * *

**A/N: In case y'all didn't notice, I used Caroline instead of "Maria" as what it was in the anime because I didn't want her to be confused with the Maria Gale we had from the Jack the Ripper incident, because M. Gale is... essential in a way to the story lol. How?**

**That's a secret...** _**for now.** _

**So let me sum up ~~again~~  the current state of SebaMia's relationship. Basically, you know that point in any relationship where absolutely nothing is happening, after an issue? But that, at any point it can either progress or just vanish? Like one word, one action can tip the balance and woosh. They stay or they don't. **

**I'm hyped for the next chapter because I _think_ you guys  _might_ enjoy it. No, not because of the torture scene but of... something else. So yeah, sorry for a _very_ late update. I know I said "soon" but yeah, took me long enough. I'll be in uni again tomorrow (rather, later). ~~Also lowkey feeling out of it since idk...~~** **~~I reassessed my story and my OC and I feel like... it's not enough, it's lame, and like I wanna scrap the whole thing and just do away with it.~~ Forgive me for rambling, thus the long author-note as well.**

**Hope ya guys will still look forward to the next update! Thanks and see y'all next time!**


	47. Heroine

The sound of clothing being torn apart by fat, ugly and dirty hands rang through the old and eerie torture chamber.

"Beautiful!"

Indeed, Sebastian Michaelis being chained to a wall with his coat undone, dress shirt ripped apart and his black necktie loosely hanging from that beloved neck, was a delicious sight to behold. Especially for the bald man with missing teeth who was about to torture him.

"If you plan to confess, it would be better for your health if you did it soon, Sebastian." Arthur Randall stood a few big steps behind the torturer.

The butler only scoffed and smirked, "Well then, I will confess."

Randall's thick brow twitches, as he expected such a loyal servant to show even an ounce of resistance. However, since the butler was cuffed, led to the London castle, not once did he fight back. 

And Sebastian knew. He knew the petty human was still annoyed, despite being pleased with the recent turn of events. So, as the demon that he is, he figured it would be such a joy to play with the idiot.

"To tell you the truth, I was the one who spread the Black Death across Europe."

Randall made sounds of disbelief, but the demon continued, fighting the smug look on his sculptured face. "That was during the reign of Edward III, if I remember correctly."

"Don't make fun of me! That was five hundred years ago!"

Sebastian was mildly amused at Randall's bewilderment at his "confession", ' _Ah, has it already been that long?_ ' He keeps his thoughts to himself and lets his mischievous look, both evident in his eyes and on his face, be his response.

Randall then stormed out, after leaving a command of tormenting Sebastian as many times and in many ways.

"I'm so happy, you didn't confess~ if you did, then I would've lost my chance to have some fun!"

The old torturer was looked down upon by the demon as the former began to drool and step towards his chained being. "Oh, that eye! Shall I scoop it out or have it run into my knife ten times? Ah, but burning's fun too!" he wiped off his drool, and began mumbling to himself about Sebastian's eyes being his last pleasure.

"You should let me hear your voice first, Mister Handsome~!"

At the same time, pain shot through Amelia as she lied on her bed. She kept rolling to one side then another, and was now unable to sleep. Her music box played soothing notes in the background as she waited for the pain to subside. However, it had no sleeping effect on her anymore. Settling down, she stared up at the ceiling and clutched onto the necklace's key pendant then with a frown, her eyes began to glaze with worry. A few quiet moments, she sat up and decided she needed to do something.

The housekeeper got to her closet and pulled out some cream shirt plus greyish-green, high-waist trousers with brown suspenders attached to them. Amelia used some chest wrappings before she changed into the pairs of clothes. She also wore low-heel knee boots and fastened them with the buttons.

Amelia clicked her tongue and sighed inwardly as she struggled on the boots. "Therefore I never should've let them go without me."

After that, she went to the vanity and started combing her messy hair. "Then again, I have the capability to make things worse and the chances of it happening are unusually high," she sighed as she quickly put her hair up in a tight bun.

"My hair has gotten longer, has it not? Well…" Amelia stood up, went for her bedside table to turn the music box off and lock it once more.

Lastly, she pulled open the drawer underneath the table's surface to reveal a certain picture frame, and beside it was a raven-black newsboy cap, underneath which, two daggers laid at rest. The brunette strapped each of the weapons to both her thighs after wearing the cap and her fingers brushed along the butler's Christmas gift.

She picked it up, sat on the edge of her bed and breathed, staring at the picture that preserved that awkward yet humorous memory. Amelia nibbled on her lower lip, contemplating things in her mind regarding Sebastian and how she truly felt for the demon.

Her thumb wiped the dust off of Sebastian's face in the picture then looked straight ahead with a determined expression. "Alright, this should do it. This time, it's my turn to save them."

Amelia placed the picture back on the table and head out of her room. Quietly, she made her way towards Snake's room and knocked softly. Yes, the serpent-man was separated from the other male staff in fear of the many slithering friends of Snake to give them a little bite.

When the housekeeper was granted permission to enter, she turned the doorknob and peeked in, "Sorry for waking you up at such a deadly hour, Snake."

"It's alright, but what's the matter? Why are you dressed like a boy? … _says_ _Goethe_." Snake whispered as the cold-blooded animal hissed at Amelia.

"I need your help. Black and Smile still has not arrived from the factory and it is half past midnight already. I told Smile that if by this time, the two of them are not here, then I'll follow and look for them. And… it's much easier to move around in this outfit." Amelia said the last part of her statement with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, alright… however, how will we be able to help? … _says Wordsworth_."

Amelia bit her bottom lip in thought before speaking. "Do you still have Black's scent with you or maybe Smile's? I faintly remember the way you got into the mansion was through Smile's scent, am I correct?" Snake nodded.

"So here's what we're going to do. We divide your friends in two groups; one for Smile and the other for Black. They will go on ahead and follow the directions to the factory as they smell for them. After getting their location, they should immediately return here at the townhouse. From that point on, I will go alone."

Snake's eyes widened at her bold declaration, somehow reminded of his circus family that he doesn't know would never return.

"Can your friends accomplish that as soon as possible, Snake?"

The venomous animals all hissed together, and did as they were told.

Amelia couldn't sleep anymore, and like the snakes, found herself hissing every now and then in pain. She paced around the house, a small attempt to soothe her nerves.

* * *

Ciel Phantomhive was currently in jail.

But honestly, it didn't look as much. Although it was secluded, in the ends of the halls, there was  _space_. Despite being quite filthy, as a sign of disuse, it had a bed, some cabinets, tables—pretty much most of the things one would see in his study; just without a touch of being fancy.

The young earl was scribbling down on paper, probably writing a letter, and he looked out of the window in thought.

"The red tea is ready,"

He gasped at the sound of the familiar voice of his butler. With wide eyes, Ciel turned to look at the raven-haired demon as he placed the cup of tea before him. The earl stood up in disbelief, at the same time the butler straightened himself.

"Sir Ciel…?"

Abberline regarded him with a confused look on his face. Ciel stared at him for a while, before falling to sit on his chair once more upon realization.

To avoid having to explain, the young earl reached for the cup and blew on it lightly, before taking a sip.

Abberline looked down at him with warm eyes and smiled, probably having an idea as to what caused the lad to act that way. He began to make small talk.

"I used to unload cargos for a ship that delivers tea," he began to walk towards the bed, carrying the tea cup in one hand and the saucer in another.

"…you, a policeman?"

"I'm from the East End; no parents nor siblings. I did anything I could do to survive," the elder man explained. "If that was the case, you've made it out fairly good," Ciel's voice didn't sound quite sincere as he said this, though it didn't affect Abberline at all.

He sat on the edge of the bed and the smile vanished from his face. "Sir Ciel, in reality, you're not involved in drug trafficking, are you? Whether it be the anesthetic or just a letter written directly by Her Majesty?"

"So, your interrogation starts now?"

"Not at all; the higher-ups said to only 'lock you up'." He clarified. Ciel glared at him, "Then there's no need for me to answer and no need for you to interfere. Besides, this is a game between me and the ones behind it."

Then in a much nonchalant tone, he continued to speak. "You are a game piece, and it's your job to obey the commands of your superiors. That is the key to success and a long life." Ciel finished, inhaling the steam and the smell of the tea.

* * *

"Mia… what are you wearing?"

"None of your business, Bard."

The other three servants watched as Amelia either winced, paced around, and distracted herself with cleaning the same spot over and over. It has been a whole lot of hours, nearly a day, ever since she sent the snakes, and the housekeeper even skipped meals, making her co-workers rather worried.

However, somehow, in the brunette's current disposition, they knew it was something about their master and the butler.

"At least, eat somethin', 'ya know?" Bardroy scratched the back of his head with a frown.

Amelia seemed as though she didn't hear any of them and sighed, "How much longer 'til they find them?"

Snake could only watch her in silence, and in truth, was feeling frightened for the brunette might lash out on him. But Amelia was nice enough not to do that, she was still aware of the man's situation in life and she didn't need to make it worse. She was already grateful enough for the effort and compliance of Snake and his snakes.

It was near dusk, with the sky growing dark in the distance. The servants managed to make Amelia eat a decent meal, and the housekeeper was on the verge of chasing out after Ciel and Sebastian herself. But then, a high-pitched shriek pierced through the townhouse. Amelia sighed. "Mey-rin, oh Mey-rin, what is it now…?"

The kitchen was filled with snakes.

Immediately, Snake had them in order and him and Amelia spoke in private once more, away from the stooges. Wasting no time, Snake became the mediator between his friends and his female boss.

"Who is… what? Ciel? I mean, Smile is  _in prison_?! Black is being what now,  _tortured_?!" Amelia breathed, ' _What the heck is Sebastian even doing?!_   _What the heck is even happening?! Did what I say really come true...?_ '

"Alright, Snake…" she took a breath and told herself to be rational, and to not let her emotions get ahead of her. Snake waited patiently and watched Amelia, tapping her foot on the carpeted floor. "Your friends are coming with me."

The housekeeper stormed out of the house, some snakes slithering by her feet while the other three servants followed behind them. "M-Mia! Where are you going?! A-And the snakes?!"

"I'm going to play hide-and-seek, and it seems  _I_  am it. However, I am at a heavy disadvantage, so I must have these friends with me." She paused in her tracks and turned slightly to face the stooges. "You all should stay here, and maintain the place, alright? Can I trust you with that? Oh, and please, retire for the night."

Her face held nothing but seriousness and determination. The servants felt this already, that something was off, and though they wanted to know about it, they decided that their housekeeper didn't want them to be in trouble. But if she said  _she_  trusts  _them_ , then it was most right for  _them_  to trust  _her_.

The three of them nodded, watching Amelia's retreating figure into the shadows of the night, with Snake's snakes hissing in the background.

Meanwhile, heels clacked against the stone-cold floor in the depths of the dungeon. The iron gates creaked and revealed a bloody, wounded Sebastian, hanging on the walls by the chains around his wrists.

"How lovely, Sebastian,"

Angela Blanc's usual, angel-like voice replaced the clacking of heels as she stopped, standing before the demon. The fallen angel was in a dominatrix-like outfit and was holding a whip.

The butler raised his head up to look at Angela with a glare.

"Your devotion to your master is so strong, that it has led you into this situation."

"That is due to the contract between the Young Master and I."

Angela cracked the whip, hitting the floor, smirking. "That boy is probably gnashing his teeth by now, painfully realizing his own lack of power." She stepped closer to the demon, raising his chin up with her whip.

Sebastian had a smug look on his face, looking down on Angela. "Yes, I imagine that alright."

"Nevertheless, my Master will go on even if he has lost all his pawns. He will never give up;  _that's_  how my Master is." His smirk grew, looking to the side as if he can picture exactly what Ciel was doing.

"Why not just admit your own nature and start acting on your own desires, like the good demon you are? In reality, it must be hard for you." Angela paused, looking down. "You probably have not eaten a human soul in quite a long time, which explains why you have so many wounds. You must be ravenous by now," She looked up once again, matching the smug look Sebastian has with her own face. The angel plans to strike him a nerve, combined with physically abusing the demon.

"Then, how about the human girl? How about her soul instead?" Sebastian glared. "Besides, you must be so hungry you can hardly stand it: her scent, the slivers of taste you get, every time your lips touched. I'm surprised you kept her alive for quite a time now,"

The demon grit his teeth and spoke, " _Leave her out of this_."

Angela chuckled evilly, yet still sounded angelic, and grinned. "So, will you not make a deal with me, Sebastian?" she began sliding the whip up Sebastian's exposed and bloody abs, to his chiseled chest, "In due time, the T _rue Doomsday_ will come. When that happens, I will willingly give you as many souls you want." The whip was once again used to raise Sebastian's chin up, and Angela brought her face closer to the demon, who instead, avoided looking right back at Angela.

"Just leave that child to me and the deal shall be sealed."

He closed his eyes, and furrowed his brows. "I refuse."

Angela draws back, her little frustrations beginning to show. "I have grown weary of mindlessly tasting them one after the other. The only soul which I so desire to devour, is the soul of my Young Master." The frown was removed from his features and once again, he smiled, even looking quite dreamy. "I want  _nothing_ else."

Angela quickly let go of him, and stepped away, the smug look gone. With her back turned, "I see… well, it seems that negotiating with a demon like you is a  _failure_." She spun back around, hitting Sebastian with the whip continuously.

" _Unclean, corrupted, impure being! It should perish! It should be purged!_ "

Blood dripped down through the wounds on Sebastian's body. "This pain is  _God's blessing_  and  _purifying_   _fire!_ "

' _Ah, yes, this_ pain _is the_ supreme spice _…_ '

"Offer up your  ** _blood_  **for your sin!"

' _My_ **blood**   _is the_ finest sauce…'

"Your cursed soul must be purged with flame!" Angela went on whipping Sebastian, laughing the way a demon should, which was pretty ironic.

* * *

' _Okay, Mia. Think, think, think. To Sebastian or to Ciel…?_ '

Realizing she was even stupid enough to ask herself this, of course "rescuing" Sebastian was more logical. She couldn't possibly handle a whole lot of soldiers by herself to break free her cousin. ' _I'm certain they've locked Ciel up somewhere that infiltrating with only a bunch of reptiles would show utter stupidity,_ ' 

Since she was with snakes, and she was going to go on stealth mode, the idea of using a horse was a big no. Amelia had been walking and running her way to the London Tower.

The snakes have been leading the way and she muttered, "Let's go to where Black is," when the snakes hissed as if signaling her that the London Tower was the spot.

She nodded at the animals and they obliged, keeping close to her form. Amelia's only problem now would be getting in the dungeon, unnoticed, and without killing anyone.

"Alright, my friends,"

Amelia stopped and hid in a corner, probably just a few more blocks away, taking a rest and regaining her energy. "When we get there, I need you to distract the guards for me. I'll be entering from the East side, so I want you to cause a commotion on the West. Oh, and Goethe, I need you with me."

The snakes all hissed in unison, and they began their trek once more. Her hands ghosted over where her daggers were but squeezed her hands in shaking off the nervousness.

Amelia hoped and believed she was doing something that wasn't considered stupid. She had no idea what Ciel's plan was but that gives her more of a reason to act on her own this time. Besides, she  _has_ been all alone for majority of her life so she wouldn't care. "That's right, I'm no damsel in distress. I'm myself, and I know I can rescue the people I love."

Getting close, Amelia clenched on her daggers, minding to stay hidden in the shadows, and bid the snakes farewell. She even told them to take care of themselves. The brunette waited in darkness, for a sign that the snakes have been doing their job.

Minutes later, screams were heard.

" _S-Snakes?!_ "

" _Where the hell did they come fro—agh!_ "

Soldiers and their weapons dropping to the ground, and sounds of boots echoing through the cold, poorly-lit hallways was Amelia's chance.

And she grabbed onto it. The brunette stealthily avoided any source of light, as she and the snake Goethe, led and guided each other. It was weird and yet, it was amazing that they can work together even with the communication as a barrier. ' _I'd have to reward Snake later on,_ '

"Oh shit," she whispered, seeing that there were two armed guards assigned to Sebastian's cell, standing at attention. ' _For them to have such a tight security around a mere servant; then I suppose even the Yard is afraid of him,_ '

Amelia assessed the narrow area, eyes in a frenzy for a way to knock the guards out. ' _Think, Mia. You have to think fast,_ ' she licks her lower lip, and wipes sweat off her clammy hands. ' _I can take them head on but I would not have the advantage, given the limited area of movement. Also, it would take a lot of time if I just charge in now._ ' She looks at the ceiling, at the cell bars, and gets an idea. The brunette bends down, leveling with Goethe and begins instructing the reptile where to go and what to do.

Wasting no time, Goethe slithered up on the walls soon as the lady was finished, unnoticed by the idle guards. The snake angles itself to land its fangs directly towards the farther guard's neck and bit hard, injecting as much venom as it can.

The guard yelped, dropping his weapon, causing the other to be in a sudden state of panic. Helpless as he was, the guard could only watch his friend lose the life in his eyes; thus, his back was now facing Amelia, just as she had planned. The lady began to sneak up on the guard, and successfully points a dagger to the lone guard's neck, and the other to his back. "Open the damn cell," her voice was low and threatening.

The guard didn't budge, looking at the female through his periphery. He wasn't able to notice that Goethe had gone and detached itself from the dead guard's neck. Amelia presses the tip of the dagger to his neck a bit harder. "Surely, you would not want to end up like your friend there. You simply have to unlock the bars or," she pauses, sliding the other dagger's sharp edge from his back to his side, where they both knew if stabbed there, meant instant death through internally bleeding. "...your life; now make a pick."

From the corner of her eyes, she could see the guard sweating, and decided after a deadly three seconds reaching for the keys and did as he was told. However, Amelia still did not let herself turn lax and expected for the worst.

The guard tried to elbow her in the gut, which she easily dodged. But that ruined her hold on him. Blood seeped through the guard's uniform from the gash he got on his neck, for the attack he just made. 

Amelia goes for the offense this time, not letting the guard to at least grab a gun or any weapon that he had on him. She was driving him to a corner with her attacks, while reciting a mantra going through her head, ' _No killing, no killing, must not kill a person doing their job by my hands._ '

The guard was able to land a few punches to her, some were light but he managed land one to her face really hard, busting her lip. She cares little for the taste of blood in her mouth and decides to end the farce. Amelia sweeps him off his feet, drops a dagger then proceeds on tackling him, pinning him into a prone position. The brunette places her knee at the spot where his right shoulder joint would be and pressed on it, leaning her weight onto that. With her free hand, she twists his left arm behind his back.

" _Goethe_ , now!" 

This was Goethe's cue, and immediately bit the poor guard by the neck. Once she felt the guard weakening his resistance, she lets him go and hurriedly retrieves the keys. Amelia turned once she got what she wanted, not daring to watch his agonizing death, and recollects herself. 

The lady catches her breath and spits the blood out by the entrance of Sebastian's cell. ' _What's important is that it was not_ me _who did the finishing blow._ ' she reminds herself as she places her daggers back, strapping them to her thighs. Goethe hissed, now by her feet; Amelia nods as a sign of gratitude and told the snake to lead the others of his kind to safety.

The reptile hissed once before slithering away while Amelia proceeded with opening the rusting gates, creaking as she lets herself in.

Sebastian knew all along, from the moment he heard the guards from the other wing of the dungeon, that something was up. He sensed her coming and had to witness snippets of her fight. "Amelia,"

The housekeeper stood at a reasonable distance before him, initially speechless at the poor situation the demon was in: torn, dirty clothes, sweat and blood coating his body, bruises forming and open wounds red with blood. ' _Had he been human, I would have been more than furious,_ ' However, the longer she stared, the more she felt the pain manifest itself into her, as though she could picture exactly what the butler was forced to go through.

Sebastian kept his eyes on her, frowning when she didn't respond and avoided looking back at his eyes, " _Why_  are you here?"

Amelia finds herself wincing, the searing pain on her back being remembered. "Well, _why_ do you think?" She sasses him, shrugging her shoulders as a way to make a point and at the same time, try to ease off the back pain. 

The butler sighs, "As you can see, there was no need for you to intervene since everything is under control, just as it should be." His tone was cold, condemning, for she was the last being he wanted to see after what the angel had threatened him with. However, even demons can be weak to temptation, as deep inside, he was regretting his manner of addressing her. Sebastian didn't want to drive her away, but he knew he had to if he wanted to keep her safe, for now. 

The lady scoffs, "' _As it should be_ '? You call Ciel being in jail and you being tortured as the situation being ' _under control_ '? We both know you're not stupid, Sebastian. Did they _actually_ strike your head that hard to render you blind?"

Sebastian cursed himself after thinking of his true form, a sick joke in his head at such a bad time, ' _I still have other eyes I could use so they cannot possibly make me blind,_ '

But he did notice that her whole form was shaking. Amelia felt so many different things at the same time that she wondered how she was still able to hold herself upright. "I took the liberty of rescuing you two, and all I get is your bitching. How truly ungrateful of you and redeeming for me."

Her overwhelming emotions caused her voice to crack near the end of her statement, and hot tears dropped to the floor from her face. The housekeeper raises her hand up and hits the butler across the face with a loud smack.

Needless to say, Sebastian didn't really expect that.

"That," she panted now, an attempt to calm herself, with eyebrows furrowed as she glared at the now-surprised demon chained to the walls. Her forest green eyes finally met with his. "…is for letting Ciel go to jail."

_Slap!_

"That," she bit on her lower lip hard and swallowed down the lump forming in her throat. "…is for causing me unbearable physical and emotional pain, betraying your own words with your actions; seducing women to get information and even—!" her voice rose in pitch though she stopped at that. She focused on taking calming breaths and closed her eyes for a short while.

Sebastian looked at her forest green orbs that were now piercing his own crimson red ones, as if she were trying to look in through his soulless being.

"And  _this_ …" Amelia mumbled, shakily raising both her hands to cup his bloody and injured cheeks. She finally lets loose and quickly brought their lips together in a kiss. Sebastian could taste her soul, her blood, on his lips and it took all he can to tame himself.

The brunette pulled away slightly after a while, dropping her hands to her sides and whispered with her breath lingering onto the demon's face. "Despite everything—you still… I still…" she sighed, looking down on her feet.

The demon was speechless and told himself to hide it as best as he could. Never leaving his eyes on her, Sebastian just resorted to calling her name. " _Amelia, look at me_."

Her head snapped up once again, and she saw how his eyes left her own to travel down and land on her lips. The housekeeper understood what he meant, and she slowly inched closer, a bit of hesitation, but it was close enough to let Sebastian be the one to plant his lips on hers.

Kissing her passionately, Sebastian's eyes closed, revealing his long black lashes. He could break free from the restraints and lock Amelia in his embrace and deepen the kiss, pin her to the wall and leave marks; but he felt something _better_ with that kind of set-up they had at the moment. Of _course_ , he would never tell her that. But now he knew for sure that he could never get tired of such an exquisite taste, would never get tired of _her_.

Amelia's eyes were also closed while responding to the demon's kisses and placing one of her hands on his bloodied chest, and the other ran through his still-soft yet damp black hair. When the human pulled away to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen, the pain in both her back and her heart subsided even just a bit. She placed her forehead to the butler's, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Her lips were swollen both from the wound and the demon's kiss.

"I love you. I love you, Sebastian… so much that it hurts to see you like this."

Sebastian smiled at her softly, a rare yet genuine sight. "Impossible as it seems for a demon, however, had I been human, it would be true that I do love  _you_  Amelia.  _I love you too_."

The lovers remained in that position for a while, just drowning in each other's eyes. Seconds later, Amelia stepped back. "No, _really_ though, do you know why I have this pain on my back?" the ghost of the smile was still there on both their faces as Amelia asked him.

Sebastian decides to answer truthfully, now that he knows he was being accepted. "It is perhaps, most likely due to the mark. Remember that the mark I put on you connects us, and whatever pain the other is feeling, it will be shared. Some say it is also a way of telling if your mate is 'cheating', experiencing... pain," He explained smoothly, as he watched Amelia destroy the chains binding his wrists with nearby tools. He took note of the ease she showed in doing such.

Amelia hummed in amusement, finally understanding. "So demons are  _required_ to be faithful to their mates?" her arms laced around Sebastian's waist and the butler rested a gloved hand on the small of her back. A cooling sensation spread through her nerves but there still lies a hint of a smirk on the woman's lips.

"Not necessarily; since you are but a human, the effect on you is more severe I believe. If you were a demon, it would be nothing but a simple itch or an ant bite—it depends," he trailed off and they looked at each other in silence.

Sebastian caressed her face, rubbing his thumb on her swollen cheek, and was somehow disappointed the guard that caused it was already dead. "And if you have not noticed, the extra strength or speed you've been displaying as of late are all because of that mark."

"…Why?"

The butler rubbed noses with her and pecked her lips. "You'll know in a much later time, but for now,"

The fat, ugly, disgusting, terrible, torturer had returned to Sebastian's cell. "Oooh~? You think you can escape, eh? Why not have fun together, the three of us? You even brought another friend!" he sipped up his drool and wiped its trail from his chin.

Sebastian untangles himself from her, "I believe play time is over," he steps forward, a protective stance in front of his mate. "Amelia?"

"Yes, dear?"

If Sebastian had a heart, it would've skipped a beat at the tenderness of this statement that was directed to him— _only_ to him, _only for him_.

He smirked proudly instead, "Kindly close your eyes and do not peek."

Amelia did what she was told and in under a minute, the butler had once again, planted a kiss on her and this time on her forehead. "Shall we,  _my_ lady?"

"Of course, now let's hurry before more of them come."

* * *

Ciel had left his cell and escaped through a door, walking outside in the middle of the night. Following after him was a certain young inspector and policeman.

"What will you achieve, going out on your own?"

Ciel stopped and turned to face Abberline. "You should not underestimate me, a  _Phantomhive_ , who has wielded power in the British Underworld for as many years, you would not even know."

Abberline went closer to the young earl and the latter continued to speak.

"I still have many pawns I can control."

"You mean, that lot you tried to contact for the past few days? Yet, they have not even reached a hand out for you. Am I wrong, Ciel?"

Ciel tried to hide his shock that Abberline knew about his attempts. However, this didn't stop the inspector. "Fear and profit—those are the only ties that bind in the Underworld, and I am afraid you can provide neither at the moment."

With a straight face, Ciel retorted. "That won't hold me back for long. Even if I am deprived of all of my chess pieces and only the  _king_ remains on the board, I will never pull out of the game."

The earl was determined and continues voicing out his sentiments, "If I can no longer rely on anyone's help, so be it. I was born to end up  _alone_. It's the fate delivered to me by the cursed house of Phantomhive— _you wouldn't understand at all_ , Abberline."

Abberline looked down, "I understand that you're talking about your parents' murder," Ciel gasps and the elder male continues. "I read your file and Randall told me the rest—I know  _everything_."

"You're the Queen's Watchdog, and that you run the criminal Underworld."

" _Everything_? You speak as though you have been there yourself." He spat out the words with cold hatred that even made Abberline flinch. "Well then, there's nothing more to say, is there?" Ciel turned again, about to leave Abberline but then the elder man was persistent and continued to talk to Ciel.

"Why do you insist on doing this alone?!" Abberline's voice rose in volume, his concealed annoyance and probably, worry, for the young child all heard in his voice. "Why won't you ask anyone for help?!"

"I don't  _need_  anyone on my side.  _I'm_  the one playing the game, all I need are my  _pawns_."

"Then, _I'll_ be on your side."

Ciel for the third time that moment, shocked, turned again to face Abberline. The young detective's naivety and kindhearted nature reminded him of the writer he had invited to the manor a few months back. "Yes,  _me_ , I'll be on your side, Ciel."

"... _Why are you doing this?_ "

* * *

**A/N: *sobbing* I'm sorry for last chapter's self-loathing/pitying moment lmao Rivamikatrash i love u so much :--((( words aren't enough to convey my gratitude so here, have a chapter <333 **

**To anyone, everyone else reading the story up til this point, thank you for sticking by with me haha I'm glad to have written this story anyway hope y'all like this chapter and see you next time <333**

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Demon's Book of Memories](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14580231) by [The_Queen_in_Black](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Queen_in_Black/pseuds/The_Queen_in_Black)




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